Tomorrow's Solace
by Ryou Shirogane
Summary: Ryou Shirogane must not only deal with his unrequited love and a new wave of Chimera Anima, but the long term effects of the Mew Project and a shabby old man who threatens to reveal Mew Ichigo's identity. Then the alien trio returns with troubling news...
1. Preface: A tale of two cities

_**Author's Note:** This story is being told from three different perspectives. For the most part, it will be from Ryou's POV (that is, Point of View), though not always. The name of the speaker appears after each chapter title or act title (acts are for switching themes or perspectives)._

_I'd like to thank everyone who read and enjoyed "Dreaming in Color". I'm glad that even people not fond of fanfiction or my pairing choice (RyouxIchigo) were able to read and enjoy it, so thank you, and I hope this story will also be enjoyed._

_There are spoilers here. Everywhere. Just so you're aware. If you don't know your Ryou or your Masaya, then be warned... you shall learn. I'm also happy to announce that this is a **MASAYA-FRIENDLY FANFIC**. No Masaya bashing here folks. :D_

_I have decided to start the story out with a preface which uses a song reference. The song is "Held" by Natalie Grant, which I immediately fell in love with after I heard it in Shynkichan's music video on youtube. The song is actually about a mother losing her son, but it can be tweaked to have an opposite meaning, I think. I knocked out a few lines that didn't apply. Either way, please go look for that Ryou AMV, or listen to the song when you get the chance. It is really lovely. I may use more song references in the future._

_So... happy reading everyone. And review! Please support the "Save the Shiroganes" fund by donating a moment of your time to leave feedback. :O Thanks!_

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I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew. Tokyo Mew Mew is written by Reiko Yoshida and illustrated by Mia Ikumi. It is licensed by Kodansha Ltd. 4Kids licensed the animated series in America as Mew Mew Power, as well as in some other countries.

* * *

**TOMORROW'S SOLACE**

**--- Preface - A Tale of Two Cities. (version. Ryou)**

_**Two months is too little. They let him go. They had no sudden healing.**_

_Papa had disappeared into his lab again. I would sit and stare at the door to the basement for minutes on end, wondering whether or not I should venture inside. Usually when I did, Papa would smile wearily, rest his large warm hands on my shoulders and direct me back outside, saying that he was sorry for being busy, but that he'd come up for tea soon. He was on the verge of a breakthrough, he explained. After a while I came to realize that breakthroughs took more than a few hours. It was May already, and in just two months Papa would be flying off to Brazil with a college friend to study some ruins they had found there. In any case, two months was two months. Even if it turned into one month - or a week - it was still time that I could eventually spend with my father._

_That morning, before I followed Keiichiro out to the car to endure a thirty minute drive to school (one that should have taken an hour), I had returned to the basement. The door was open, and I found Papa slouched down in his office chair, looking very drained, memorizing one of the computer displays._

_Tapping my knuckle lightly against the doorframe, I saw his gray eyes dart from the screen to where I was standing._

_"I'm off to school now," I said simply._

_His brown head slowly nodded, and he pushed his glasses up further on his nose - something I had noticed he did when he was in an awkward position and didn't know exactly what to say, "Have a good day."_

_I nodded. As soon as I turned to leave, I was interrupted by my father's voice._

_"Ryou..."_

_"Hm?"_

_"I'm sorry. Let's do something together when you get back, alright?"_

_I gave another nod. "Okay."_

_"I love you."_

_For the third time that day, I nodded, but couldn't bring myself to repeat his words back to him. The truth was, I was pretty hurt that my father was so absorbed in his work. But it wasn't just about me. Okay, so it was mostly about the lack of time we were spending together, but those bags hadn't formed under his eyes for no reason. He always seemed tired; it really wasn't fitting for the type of person he was._

_"Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?"_

_My concern had finally overridden any negative feelings that Papa's work had called forth in me. Besides, one day I'd be old enough to help him out myself. Then he could spend more time with his family and less stressing over a bunch of old bones. I didn't hate science, no; it was fascinating, but there were other things that seemed to matter more._

_There was a light, though tired, chuckle, and I saw that a little bit of the sparkle had returned to his eyes, "I won't, Ryou."_

_...that was the last time I ever saw him._

_**To think that providence would take a child from his mother while she prays is appalling.**_

_Mama had been waiting at the top of the steps with my lunch. She had stroked my hair affectionately on my way out and apologized for my father being so busy with his work; told me to be careful. I knew well enough that she didn't like it either. The fossil my father was studying gave her the creeps, but he wouldn't get rid of it no matter how much she protested. Not just yet, he always said. After this, Mama walked over to where Keiichiro, my father's assistant, was waiting in the driver's seat of his new sports car and warned him that he'd better not speed or she'd have Shou shave off his hair._

_I remember watching her waving figure getting smaller and smaller as we drove into New York City. No doubt she was praying that Keiichiro would discover the brake pedal today. And praying seriously. My mother was a devout Christian woman, and she prayed constantly about every little thing._

_It must have worked, because that day, he DID find it._

_**Who told us we'd be rescued? What has changed, and why should we be saved from nightmares?**_

_That evening is a blur. To this day I cannot think of it clearly. It makes me dizzy, and numb, and creates a loud noise in my head._

_Oh, but I can remember that demonic figure as she rose from the flames. The nightmare.  
Who knows why she didn't attack us too? Sometimes I think it would have been for the best, although I can't tell Keiichiro that._

_Instead, the fire had claimed the lives of my parents and our pet dog, Daisuke. Not only that, but it had destroyed my home, my dreams, even a sense of security that I have never again been able to experience. _

_From that day onward I was on my own. _

_Well, no, I wasn't alone. I had Keiichiro. That guy never did leave my side, and he worries about me continually. Maybe he was always afraid I'd do something stupid._

_**We're asking why this happens, to us, who have died to live.**_

_For months after the accident I blamed myself. If only I had been stronger. If only I had been something special, I could have saved the two most important people in my life. That's what I thought, anyway. How come I was alive... and they were gone? Surely they hadn't done anything at all to deserve this._

_**It's unfair.**_

_We travelled to Tokyo, Japan to finish my father's research. He had poured himself into the Mew Project, so the very least I could do was finish it. That's what I thought, anyway. It seemed like a natural thing: a son "continuing on his father's tradition". Or something like that._

_**This hand is bitterness. We want to taste it, let the hatred know our sorrow.**_

_In just a few years I had managed to complete his research, although I was well aware that it had consumed my life. After the accident I avoided people as often as I could. If I didn't become attached to anyone, then I wouldn't be hurt if something happened to them. I would do what I had to for the good of the people, but I would remain an observer. From a distance._

_At first I really wanted a social life, but it soon became apparent that there was no time for that._

_The Mew Project came first.  
Because it was Papa's dream. _

And so... Tokyo Mew Mew was born.

_Originally I was skeptical, though curious. Could five girls really save Earth? Perhaps I was expecting them to do the impossible. In the end, however, they proved themselves. I then realized that my heart had begun beating again when that was the one thing I had been trying to prevent._

**_This is what it means to be held.  
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life and you survive.  
This is what it is to be loved.  
And to know that the promise was when everything fell we'd be held._**

_

* * *

_

**_The wise hands open slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow._**

It was springtime.  
May twenty-fifth, in fact.  
It was a day that I could not forget no matter how much I might have wanted to.

The air was surprisingly chilly as it whipped in and out of my fine hair, and the fog made it difficult to see. I could still hear the sounds of New York City below me. Even from this far away, on this hillside, it was as if you could catch bits and pieces of everything that was being spoken, every honk of every car, every dog barking, every cat meowing... every footstep and heartbeat. It felt that way. Muttering for not having thought of bringing earplugs before, I forced these noises from my mind and instead focused on the sound of my hiking boots squeaking loudly as they slid across the damp grass. I stretched my shoulders as I crested the top of the hill, straightening my back even though I was certain it wasn't neccessary. After all, neither of these people would expect me to act in such a polite and proper manner...

"You should have seen the weird look the shopkeeper gave me when I asked him for a bouquet of black roses. Apparently he's never heard about your antics, Papa," I remarked awkwardly, setting the unusual choice of flowers down between the two headstones. Frowning a bit to myself, I immediately began brushing dead leaves and dirt off of them with my fingertips. I'm known for being a neat freak, and while I might scatter books haphazardly over tables, chairs, and other pieces of furniture, I tend to keep everything else tidy and in order. However, it might have been better if I had tried washing the grave markers. The tears came soon enough. Large, hot tears that only surfaced on May twenty-fifth... and on holidays when I think about things too much. I don't allow myself to get too emotional otherwise, because a leader must be brave. _Brave...?_ Ha.

I raised a hand to my face to quickly wipe these nuisances away, the leather strap around my upper arm tightening uncomfortably as I did so. Funny how I tried to act polite, yet I gave little regard for the clothes I was wearing - something my mother obviously would have scolded me about... if she were still alive.

"Sorry I'm late, Mama, Papa. Those girls have really become a handful, you know? You can't leave them unsupervised for a minute..."


	2. 01: How to invent a fairytale

_The memories that were once so clear have been diluted by tears.  
My heart knows no song but the pain of what I have lost.  
I wake each day praying that solace will soon come to me.  
I'll keep on waiting..._

**TOMORROW'S SOLACE**

**-- Ch. 01; Act. 01 - How to invent a fairytale. (version. Ichigo)**

**CRASH!**

The sound of shattering china echoed throughout the walls of Cafe Mew Mew, followed by a desperate wave of apologies. Retasu Midorikawa had just broken another set of dishes. Nobody seemed at all surprised or startled, not even the customers. This was normal.

I let out a small sigh, rubbing my forehead with the back of my hand before I dropped the rag I had been using to wipe down a table. I hurried briskly to the kitchen while trying to think of something comforting to say so that Retasu wouldn't worry herself to death over the mess on the floor. I had to think especially hard because most of the things I'd normally say had already been covered last week. Retasu deserved better than a repeat of the same discussion we'd had yesterday.

"Hey, do you need some help, Retasu?" I asked in a perky tone.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, Ichigo-san! I really didn't mean to!" Retasu was repeating, going into a deep bow and then shooting back up again - grabbing for the broom... knocking over the dustpan as she did so.

I was laughing nervously as I bent over to pick up some of the bigger pieces, "Retasu, you really should calm down. It's no big deal! Besides, Shirogane has plenty of money. One more set of dishes won't break his bank."

_'Of course,'_ I thought silently, _'an occasional raise for his hard-working employees wouldn't break his bank either.'_

Retasu tried to relax, but it was obviously not working. Additionally, her face had turned a much brighter shade of pink at the mention of _Shirogane_.

"Y-yes... I s-suppose, but, uh... that's actually the third set I've broken today."

I forced down a giggle. It wasn't funny really, but Retasu tries so hard. She's the sweetest girl in the world. It's just too bad that she has a crush on Ryou Shirogane, our jerk of a boss - who is **definitely not** the sweetest guy in the world. But to each her own, I guess.

"I wouldn't worry about it," I said again, dumping the pieces I had collected into a trashcan.

"But..." came the other girl's shy protest.

"It'll be fine!" I added confidently, pumping a fist in the air.

"Ah... right..."

I returned to what I had been doing while Retasu swept up the remaining fragments of dishes. Minto, who had been sitting calmly at a back table all this time, had her finger hooked around the delicate curve of a teacup handle. She raised an eyebrow slightly at me as I returned to my job, a smug grin on her face all the while.

I finally muttered under my breath, "You're not helping. As usual..."

"Did you say something, Ichigo?" Minto inquired lightly. Like Retasu's breaking of dishes, this was also normal. Even the stuck-up tones in Minto's voice and the grin on her face were all normal. Predictable. Urgh, annoyingly expected!

"No, nothing..." I grumbled further as I rubbed down the table even more furiously than before. At least Shirogane was out of town. If he had been present, then he **and** Minto would have teamed up and taken turns teasing me. They always know how to get on my nerves! I hate it!

Just then, the cafe doors swung open to reveal a blond girl and her boyfriend wheeling inside on rollerblades. The blond just looked exhausted, but the other had a huge grin on his face.

"Hey ladies! What's up?" the ever-energetic Tasuku Meguro called into the cafe with a spirited wave of his arm.

"Nothing really," Mint sighed, being the first to answer, "Berii, how about joining me for tea?"

"No thanks," the blond answered in a drained tone, "I just want to get the rest of these cakes delivered so we can go home. Besides, my dad's going on a date with Takako this evening and I want to make sure he at least looks presentable."

"C'mon Berii," Tasuku started, putting an arm around her shoulder, "Your old man will be just fine. He can take care of himself - and he's a very interesting person. Why don't we two go do something ourselves this evening?"

Berii flushed, shoving the boy's arm away, "Tasuku, can't you ever be serious?"

"Of course I can!" he pouted, "But really, I'm proud of him. And of you too. I'm glad to see him finally moving on with his life."

Berii gave a sigh, fingering her locket unconsciously, "Yeah, ever since mom died he's been trying to play both father and mother. I think this'll be good for him."

I smiled. I absolutely love romance, whether we're talking real life relationships or chick flicks. All of this talk was reminding me of my wonderful boyfriend - Masaya Aoyama - whom I just so happened to have a date with this evening. I could feel my cheeks turning a deep red. Yes! I have my Aoyama-kun! I love _love!_

"Well, we're all rooting for him!" I announced with enthusiasm. Retasu had returned from the kitchen and was listening politely to the conversation at hand from the back of the room.

"Thanks," Berii replied with a sweatdrop, "But who ever heard of picking girls up at the fish market?"

"Well..." I was laughing nervously again, "My dad gets pretty geared up about sushi, but he and mom actually met each other when they were still in high school."

"My parents met in school as well..." Retasu offered, "They were both in the same Sociology class."

Minto, who hadn't contributed anything about her parents, finally set down her teacup, "It kind of makes you wonder how Ryou's parents got together, doesn't it?" She added a little more softly, "Isn't that why he's overseas at the moment?"

"I believe so..." said Retasu, looking sympathetic.

"Um, I guess..." I answered, blinking, "Probably just two rich people meeting at some fancy and completely boring party, though. I mean, Shirogane's famous for them."

"Oh, my..." Minto scolded, "How incredibly uncreative, Ichigo. Even my parents had a more romantic beginning than that. You act as if so-called _rich people_ spend every waking moment planning parties and social events."

'_I was thinking...' _I thought furiously, '_That they spend all of their time drinking tea and ordering people around..._'

It was clearly obvious that Miss Minto was bored from what escaped her mouth next, "Hmm... perhaps Ryou's mother was a fill-in maid. The usual maid at the Shirogane household had fallen ill with pneumonia. When she met the master's son she may have fallen desperately in love with him. And vice versa... the master's son fell hard for this sweet innocent maiden. Maybe they secretly met in the gardens on the night when he was supposed to be engaged to the daughter of a foreign diplomat... and he whisked her off to a beautiful city like Paris to declare their love by holding a grand wedding..."

Well, that did seem a bit more romantic. I was officially interested in filling in this blank.

"Maybe his mother came from the wealthy family and his father was a washed-up drunken scientist who needed a good word from them to formally publish an experiment!" Tasuku added, another grin spreading across his face before Berii smacked him lightly on the shoulder.

"Oww!"

"They must have been very kind people. Ryou seems to treasure their memory dearly" Retasu commented softly, "N-not that I was trying to pry..."

"I kind of agree. Doesn't he keep a photograph of them in his room?" Berii inquired cautiously.

"Hey, Berii! How do you know about that...?" Tasuku cut in, glancing at her suspiciously.

"It's nothing like you think it is!" Berii shot back, her face growing dangerously red, "Akasaka-san sent me up there to ask Ryou-san about ordering new silverware; that's all!"

"Yes! I've got it!" I shouted above everyone else. I had finally devised the perfect, PERFECT love story. I beckoned for the others to lean closer, "I bet it's like this! See, his father had been in love with his mother for a really long time but he never told her. However... his mother decided she wanted to become a nun because there seemed to be no good man in her life. So he had to dramatically storm the abbey gates and--"

"I have a better idea..." came a tired voice from behind us.

"Not now! I'm getting to the best part!" I snapped, my eyes lit with the flames of determination. The others in the room had grown eerily silent around me.

"I-ichigo-san..." Retasu started.

Finally coming to my senses, I stiffened and spun, finding myself face-to-face with none other than Ryou Shirogane himself. The 17-year-old scientific genius (and whatnot) did not look particularly pleased at me.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? You weren't supposed to be back for another day!" I shrieked.

"What are **you** doing?" he inquired, his voice echoing in the dead quiet of the room, "Talking about me behind my back?"

"Uh... n-no..." I stammered, quite embarassed, "Well you see, Berii's dad has a date tonight, and we were talking about how our parents met one another, and... well, we started trying to... guess how..."

I didn't need to finish. Shirogane's jaw had tightened visibly, and even I knew that this was bad news.

"So you thought you'd fill in the gaps and make up what happened between my parents," he concluded in a sharp tone. I felt rather guilty (and was totally ready to blame Minto for starting the conversation). Not many things can get to our moody half-American leader, but this was obviously an exception.

"Um... so... would you mind telling us, Ryou-san...?" Berii asked cautiously. This probably wasn't the time for that either.

Shirogane closed his eyes, having dropped his luggage on the now clean cafe floor. He looked even more exhausted than Berii had when she arrived. When he opened his eyes again, the look he had was distant.

"They met at the flower shop," he answered them shortly, "Where my mother worked. Papa was a Japanese exchange-student. Now... I see two cakes still left on the counter. Hurry and deliver them so we can clean up and you all can go home."

Shirogane hoisted up the suitcases again and began his trek up the cafe stairs, leaving us to silently watch him depart.

"Ah... poor Ryou-san... I shouldn't have asked..." Berii said in a hushed voice.

"It's all right. Ryou's a big boy. He can take care of himself," said Minto as she handed over the two cakes to Tasuku and Berii, "Well, looks like the fun's over. We should finish up here."

"Alright..." came Retasu's quiet voice.

I was honestly thinking about what Shirogane had said. I wasn't focusing on how cute the idea was, but how my employer had said it. I wondered to myself if Ryou was crying right now. Didn't Minto say he had gone to America for the anniversary of his parents' deaths? Akasaka-san had told me all about it a long time ago. I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him, even now. I mean, I've almost lost someone really important to me, and it hurts a lot. Considering these were the guy's parents, and great people from what Akasaka-san had said, he must suffer a whole lot more than he ever lets on.

I gazed up the steps, considering going up them for a moment before shaking the idea away.

"Nah. Shirogane would probably rather be left alone for awhile..."

* * *

**-- Ch. 01; Act. 02 - When the fairytale ended. (version. Ryou)**

That's what _Ichigo_ thought anyway. My cat senses picked up her words easily, even if she had merely whispered them. The truth was, being alone was the very last thing I wanted. It was the last thing I had ever wanted. I hit my fist lightly against the wall before tossing a tissue at a small metal trashcan by my computer desk - and missing. This was the side of Ryou Shirogane that I refused to let them see, and never would.

"You never should have died," I muttered bitterly under my breath, "If someone had to be sacrificed, it should have been me, but you shouldn't have died..."

"Ryou..." I didn't need to look up. I knew exactly who it was.

"Keiichiro." The brunette had a sympathetic look on his face. I hate that, but at least this was coming from someone who could understand. Someone who had been there. This wasn't, I reminded myself, coming from a total stranger who knew nothing about me.

"Welcome back," he said softly.

I laughed - it was very fake, and something my guardian would clearly be able to distinguish, "I would say it's great to be back if I actually felt that way. But here I am. Have there been any more letters?"

Keiichiro folded his arms infront of him, shaking his head, his ponytail swaying from side-to-side, "No, just that one."

I took it from its resting place near the inkjet printer, examining it for about the third time, "What does the Japanese government think that it can do if Chimeras keep attacking? The military can't take things like that out so easily, and it would just attract even more attention. Other countries might grow suspicious of the increase in military activity as well."

Keiichiro frowned, "What are you going to do, Ryou?"

"I wish I knew..." I sighed, sitting down on the edge of the unmade bed, purposely averting my gaze from the headboard where the last trace of my past stood framed next to a digital alarm clock.

"You shouldn't keep punishing yourself, Ryou... The professor and Elizabeth, they wouldn't want-"

"I know that!" I interrupted, my arms shaking a bit, though I hoped he wouldn't notice, "I know they wouldn't, but I just..."

Keiichiro sighed. He probably figured that by now, he too, had crossed the line, "I'll bring you a glass of hot chocolate, alright?"

With that, Keiichiro turned and disappeared from the room, leaving me to my thoughts again.

Staring at the letter, I slowly began to rip it apart. It felt good: shredding that piece of paper between my fingers. But even I knew that it would solve nothing. The government was telling me to cease all actions regarding the Mew Project. I knew well enough that what I was doing didn't sit too well with some of the public, but what were _they_ doing? I didn't see anyone else out there trying to make a difference, or even making suggestions. Even now, most people don't know that their planet had ever been in serious danger. Some people believe that the entire attack was just some hoax to promote a magical girl anime series that appeared on television afterwards. Kicking off my shoes, I sank down into bed, not bothering with changing clothes or taking a shower.

"I know I shouldn't punish myself," I grumbled, staring at the ceiling, "but I just... don't know what I should be doing anymore. I feel so lost..."


	3. 02: How to blow a secret identity

**TOMORROW'S SOLACE**

**-- Ch. 02; Act. 01 - See right through me. (version. Ichigo)**

I was still feeling a little guilty about the scene at the cafe when Masaya arrived at my house that evening. Okay... so I was feeling **a lot** guilty...

"Is something wrong, Ichigo?" Masaya asked with sincere concern. His smile was cheerful and welcoming, and his amber eyes were gentle. Oh, how I loved that smile. I could feel myself weakening. I really didn't want my guilty conscience to ruin our date.

"N-no, not really..." I giggled nervously.

Masaya saw through it, "What happened?"

I sighed in defeat, pulling my boyfriend out the door with me. I caught a glimpse of Mom giving me the thumbs up from the top of the stairs and made a face. No doubt Mom had distracted Dad when the doorbell rang to avoid him unleashing his wrath on the two of us. My dad overdoes the whole "overprotective father" thing.

"It's just Shirogane. He walked in on us when we were talking about his parents. I think he was pretty upset about that," I finally explained.

Masaya nodded his head, "I see. Well, Shirogane's an orphan, isn't he? I can understand. I don't remember anything about my real parents... or... if I even _had_ any... but to be close to parents and to lose them at such a young age. To keep holding onto their memories... I bet it hurts him a lot. Maybe that's why he acts the way that he does."

I glanced up into Masaya's face. Even though Shirogane seemed to hate him, Masaya was willing to consider Shirogane's feelings. I couldn't help but smile at this thought. Masaya was just... an amazing person. I'd have to do something for Shirogane later to apologize. Something easy, hopefully. After all... it _was_ my fault this time.

"Yeah, but, enough about that..." I interrupted shakily, but my usual pep was quickly returning, "You promised me a date! Right?"

His smile widened, "I do remember promising you that, where would you like to go?"

"How about we go to the shopping district?"

* * *

**-- Ch. 02 - How to blow a secret identity. (version. ??)**

So this was Japan... It was much more crowded than I remembered, although I wasn't entirely sure if these things had actually happened to begin with. The funny thing with memories is... sometimes your mind makes them up and then convinces you that they're real.

I was a man with a mission. And that mission was finding the fabled leader of some superhero group called "Tokyo Mew Mew". He was supposed to be incredibly bright, young, and from the sounds of it, not someone you'd want as an enemy. I'd have to be careful.

"Excuse me! Sorry! Coming through, nya!"

Harajuku was a busy place. I had to fight my way through the crowd just to keep on the sidewalk, but it was not enough of a hassle to keep me from realizing that some girl in this crowd... was meowing. Could she be one of the Mew Mews, or was she just some up-and-coming idol? Or just another otaku?

Scanning the area, I finally found the subject. She was hurrying along with an armload of shopping bags. How her boyfriend managed to keep up with her, I could not imagine, but he looked exhausted.

"Let's rest for a while, okay?" I heard the redhead whine when they had finally escaped the crowd. She didn't seem to be sure if her feet were going to hold up long enough to carry her back home.

"Yes. That might be a good idea, Ichigo," her companion agreed. Even he sounded grateful for the suggestion, and so the couple made their way to a nearby bench to sit for a spell. I, on the otherhand, made my way around them to observe them more closely without being detected. They looked Japanese. They also didn't seem to be otaku, but who could really tell?

"Ouch!" the girl called Ichigo was knocked onto the sidewalk before she could even reach the beckoning resting spot. At first I thought she had simply tripped, but the vibration that started at he soles of my shoes and travelled up my legs proved otherwise. An earthquake?

"What was that?" the boy demanded. Nobody else bothered to answer his question, but Ichigo was hoisting herself back to her feet.

"I don't know! But could it be...? Ah-!" I heard her shout.

The earth beneath me gave another violent lurch, and I quickly noticed that the people in the area around us had begun shouting in panic. The sidewalk started to clear rapidly as people tripped and shoved past one another to get as far from the area as possible. When I was heaved roughly in the side, I nearly lost sight of them.

"Masaya, look!"

The crowd had finally cleared, and when I had spotted the couple again there was a huge demonic-looking fox standing before them. Its sharp canines were dripping with saliva and three long tails flowed behind it like whips.

I was not about to stand in the open like an idiot... so I ducked into the bushes a few feet away. It was probably foolish to watch from this proximity, but...

"A Chimera Anima? But I thought we had finally defeated them all!" Ichigo gasped, "Masaya, what should I-?"

"Transform, Ichigo! I can't help you this time...!" Masaya replied urgently, "So be careful!"

"Right!" Ichigo's face wasn't showing the confidence that her voice did. She looked unsure.

**"Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorpho-sis!"**

The teenaged girl before me began to glow. Light bloomed around her as two fuzzy cat ears protruded from where her human ears had been and a long tail uncoiled behind her. Silky material appeared to drape over her skin in the form of a dress and matching accessories. I was beginning to wonder if I hadn't just stepped onto the set of an effects-heavy live action magical girl show. But I knew better. The feeling in my gut told me that this was all real. That girl, Ichigo, was one of the ones I was supposed to be looking for. She'd be able to take me to Ryou.

When the lights had died down, Ichigo declared in a brave voice, "As always, for the future of the Earth, Mew Ichigo will be of service, nya!"

The Chimera Fox, however, didn't appear impressed. The creature turned burning red eyes on the pink catgirl, opening its jaws to aim a burning ball of flames in her direction.

"Nya!" Ichigo hissed, barely having time to react. She launched herself off the ground, flipped in the air, and landed a distance away, almost losing her footing in the process, "Maybe I should have been practicing all this time..."

**"Strawbell Bell!"** A pink heart-shaped weapon appeared on command. Ichigo reached for it.

The Chimera Fox was now dashing towards Ichigo, its tails striking in every direction like angry snakes, ripping two lamposts out of the cement and smashing a shop window.

Masaya took this opportunity to find a safer place to watch. He couldn't really do anything to help, or at least I assumed not, since he had not transformed himself.

Ichigo rolled out of the way as the monster shot past, **"Ribbon Strawberry Check!"**

Knocked backwards, the fox only looked more enraged. The animal lunged at Ichigo, sinking its teeth into her left arm.

Ichigo let out a scream, aiming a strong kick in the Chimera's eye, making it reel once more.

Ichigo fought back tears, but her arm didn't seem to be seriously damaged.

**"Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!"** Ichigo tried a stronger attack. At least the Chimera seemed to be hurting by now, but it still wasn't out of commission.

The fox emitted a high-pitched yelp, followed by another fiery blast that shook the ground around her and made the air crackle.

"Mew Ichigo!" Masaya shouted.

Before I knew it, Ichigo was rolling into my clump of bushes, which I must admit was not the best place to roll when fire was concerned. If she had had a little more reaction time, that is, if the fox hadn't been so fast, chances are she would have noticed the other occupant of the shrubbery. Me.

"Mew Ichigo, try aiming for its legs! If you can slow it down...!"

"Right!" Ichigo replied quickly before leaping out of the way again, the bell on her tail clanging loudly behind her. Ichigo turned her Strawbell Bell sideways and aimed it for the fox's legs like a boomerang, **"...Strawberry Check!"**

The Chimera Fox tripped and crashed onto its stomach, growling viciously, its tails flailing behind it and making large indentations in the pavement.

"This is it for you!" Ichigo announced determinedly, **"Ribbon Strawberry SURPRISE!"**

The fox snarled, its body beginning to glow. The glow soon seperated... one into a frightened looking fox kit, and the other into a jellyfish-like alien.

The kit immediately ran off into the brush.

"Oh no! The alien!" Ichigo gasped, dashing at the glowing blob and leaping to snatch it out of the air. For such a simple-looking creature, it knew well how to dodge. I would have liked to study it for a while myself.

"It's a pity you weren't better prepared..." came a voice from out of nowhere. The air infront of Ichigo rippled to reveal what appeared to be a female alien. She was very pale, with pointed ears and sharp teeth. Her golden eyes glinted in the moonlight, and a long orange braid swayed behind her in the breeze.

"What!" Ichigo gasped, taking a step backwards in surprise.

The alien smirked, grabbing the jelly-blob and stuffing it into what looked like a high-tech purse, "That's right. Kisshu and the others might have gone easy on you, but we won't make the same mistake. This planet will be our home once we get rid of you."

"What? But we gave you the Mew Aqua so your home could be beautiful again!" Ichigo argued.

"Ha, don't be silly. That's the very _least_ you owe us. This planet was ours from the start. We have a right to it, unlike you weaklings who abuse it. In any case, it seems you passed my test, but I can't say that I enjoyed the show."

"You can't take this planet!" Masaya shouted as he made his way to Ichigo's side.

"Oh, so it's you..." the alienness sneered, "Just you watch us. We'll meet again... you can count on it." And with that, she vanished.

"NO!"

"Ichigo, she's gone..." Masaya pointed out, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Ichigo bit her lip and gave a short nod, returning to her normal form, "I... I know, but... what'll we do? How can this be happening?"

"We should go tell Shirogane what happened right away. He might not be aware of it, since things have been quiet for a long time. You girls need to be ready."

"But... suppose we can't beat them? I mean... we barely managed to last time... And even then-!"

Masaya patted Ichigo's shoulder, giving her a determined smile, "Don't worry. I know you can do it."

Ichigo looked like she wanted to cry again, but she finally forced herself to smile back at him, "You're right. I'm sure we can do it. Somehow."

"Then let's go now..." Masaya suggested, retrieving Ichigo's things.

"Yeah. Okay..." she agreed as she turned to follow him.

Now was my chance!

Before she could take a third step, I clamped my right hand down on Ichigo's shoulder, making the girl scream. She whirled, practically knocking Masaya over in the process.

"A... a... a ghost?" she whined, and it took everything I had not to chuckle.


	4. 03: How to subject yourself to blackmail

**TOMORROW'S SOLACE**

**-- Ch. 03; Act. 01 - How to subject yourself to blackmail. (version. Ichigo)**

A shabby old man stood there. His complexion was Asian - what I could _see_ of his complexion anyway. Most of his face was covered by long dulled brown hair and a matching beard. I couldn't even pick out his eyes in that mess. Clearly this guy was pretty bad off. But... he was also a little creepy. I decided right there that I didn't like him. Somehow, he reminded me of a zombie. A zombie wasn't a ghost, of course, but it wasn't far off either...

"Can we help you, sir?" Masaya asked. Leave it to Masaya Aoyama to be friendly with strangers! I practically leapt at him to put his body between me and the zombie-guy, knowing Masaya would protect me if this guy did suddenly turn into a ghost, or try to attack me, or something...

However, the man's attention seemed to be not on Masaya but on me. I shivered and sent him a glare.

"You're... you're a Mew Mew, aren't you?" he asked finally. I had to admit I was slightly relieved that he hadn't screamed 'BOO!'. But, on the other hand... he must have seen me transform! I could only imagine what Shirogane was going to do to me now. He'd kill me.

"Um, I'm sorry sir, I have no idea what you're talking about! Maybe you've been drinking too much sake..." I suggested nervously. It wasn't a completely random idea... he smelled like alcohol. Or... maybe he just hadn't bathed in a while. Either way, he reaked!

"You can't fool me..." he said calmly, "I saw you transform and then defeat the Chimera."

_Oh crap!_ I wanted to flap around in a panic, but my hands were glued onto Masaya's arm and I was afraid if I pried them off, I might take his arm with me. _My identity! He really saw me transform! If he tells the media... they'll be all over me!_ I was probably shaking now and gripping Masaya's arm even more tightly. It probably hurt...

"Ichigo!" Masaya scolded, looking helplessly back at me.

"Ma-sa-ya!" I hissed under my breath, giving him a pleading 'help me!' look.

"...If you are, I'd really appreciate it if you escorted me to your headquarters. I'd like to meet with your leader."

My face fell further, and I poked my bottom lip out as I fretted, forgetting that I had just been found out, "Hey, I **am** the leader..."

Masaya sighed.

The stranger laughed a good-natured laugh. I had to hand it to him, that was the one handsome thing about him - his voice and the two rows of almost perfectly aligned teeth from which that voice came. Didn't change the fact that he looked like a zombie, however.

"I think he means Shirogane," Masaya offered.

"Oh... right... I knew that," I defended, "But... why should I let you meet him? What business do you have with Shirogane?"

The stranger fell silent, before responding in a somewhat cocky tone, "...Because if you don't, I could reveal your identity to the entire world... Ichigo Momomiya-san."

I gulped.

* * *

"Geez..." I was muttering as Masaya, zombie-guy, and I walked through the park towards Cafe Mew Mew. It was getting late, and I was sure that Shirogane wouldn't be too thrilled about seeing us at this hour. What was worse was that I had to use tomorrow's lunch money to pay for an extra subway ticket. I really hoped Dad was in a generous mood... but then, I was already out past curfew - and with Masaya - so that **was not** going to happen. Life sucked, and it was crashing down around me. Oh despair!

I was greatly relieved when Akasaka-san was the one who opened the sweet shop's doors. He looked tired.

"Ichigo-san, what a surprise," the brunette greeted genuinely, something that I doubted anyone else could pull off with as much sincerity. I couldn't help but smile at this.

"Hi, Akasaka-san, um..." I hesitated as I glanced over at zombie-guy who was eyeing the cafe's manager with supressed interest.

"Ah, Ichigo-san, who's your friend...?" the adult asked in a surprised (and slightly confused) tone.

"HE'S NOT MY FRIEND!" I hissed, shooting a glare in the stranger's direction; he only laughed nervously.

Akasaka-san blinked, a sweatdrop rolling down the back of his head. Luckily, I hadn't completely deafened him. Masaya, on the other hand, hadn't spoken a word.

"Please call me Max," the zombie-guy offered, bowing slightly.

"Ah... nice to meet you, Max-san," Akasaka-san replied with a bow of his own.

I just made a scary face. There was no use in zombie-guy trying to act like a gentleman _now_ when he was the one who had blackmailed me!

"We need to speak with Shirogane," Masaya put in, "Some things have come up..."

The tones in his voice must have alerted Akasaka-san to the fact that something was amiss, for his face grew serious immediately after Masaya's voice had trailed off, "Ryou was asleep when I checked on him last, but..."

On cue, the blond teenager appeared at the top of the steps, running a hand tiredly through his hair which was sticking up a bit. The noise must have woken him up. You had to hand it to him, he could still look cool even with bed hair.

"Do you have to be so loud, Ichigo? I was in the middle of a nice peaceful dream until your screaming interrupted it..." he grumbled.

I just frowned, stomping my foot on the floor, "This is important, Shirogane! And you're not going to like it!"

Shirogane had noticed Max now, and was regarding him with a look one might have when finding a dead bug floating in his cereal, "What's that?"

I wasn't sure if he was referring to Max or the news, but decided to go with both in the end, "Masaya and I ran into a Chimera Anima in Harajuku! I managed to defeat it, but... then this female alien shows up..."

Shirogane was glancing from me to Max with a look which read: _'You idiot, why'd you say that infront of a civillian?'_. I followed his glance back to Max, who seemed a bit shocked and dumbfounded at finally meeting our leader. I was kind of glad he found Shirogane intimidating.

"And then this jerk claims he saw the whole thing and said if we didn't bring him here that he'd reveal my identity!" I bit my lip, mentally preparing myself for whatever things Shirogane was going to launch at me.

My boss raised an eyebrow, "You just stood there and let him blackmail you? Well, that was brilliant, Ichigo..."

"Argh!" I dug my fingernails into my palms to keep from leaping at him and scratching his eyes out.

Shirogane watched me, making a slight "psh" noise under his breath, before narrowing his eyes at Max, "And you... have got a lot of nerve."

Max said nothing for the next five seconds. He still looked somewhat scared, much to my satisfaction, but he finally sighed and explained himself, "Well, actually, I'm looking for a place to stay. I don't have any money."

"I don't think Shirogane's running a charity," I retorted, but was silenced by a look from the blond. This was followed up by Masaya placing a hand on my shoulder to restrain me. Masaya shook his head lightly.

"And I should grant you board _why_, Mr...?" his voice trailed off.

"You might not mind it so much if you gave me a chance... The name's Max."

The blond raised his eyebrow further in sketicism, crossing his arms infront of his chest in the same motion, "After you threatened my employee?"

"I wouldn't really call it a threat..." Max stated somewhat awkwardly, realizing now that his previous vague way of speaking wasn't having a very desirable effect on the blond.

"It so **WAS** a threat!" I exploded. Masaya placed his other arm on my free shoulder to keep me from lashing out again.

"_Right..._ and what exactly will you require to keep Ichigo's identity a secret? An autograph? Money? ...or maybe you're out for something even bigger. Like the Mew Project perhaps."

Max actually looked somewhat insulted. Rubbing the side of his head, the stranger replied, "I just need a place to stay for a little while. And the neccessities. That's all. I can even repay you later."

Shirogane cast Akasaka-san a doubtful look. The blond obviously wasn't convinced of zombie-guy's innocence, and wanted his companion to give him the 'OK' to tell dear Max off. I wanted him to also.

"Ryou..." the brunette prodded verbally, "We should at least give him a chance..."

Shirogane and I both stared at Akasaka-san with very much the same expression: _'What on EARTH are you THINKING?'_. Maybe the pastry chef was so far gone into dreamland that he wasn't thinking at all...

"You may stay as long as there are no complaints," Akasaka-san announced for the group.

I let out a groan. I was, for once, truly tired of arguing about this.

Shirogane sighed loudly, looking very much annoyed, but apparently he had enough respect for his guardian to let him make the call this time. I could only imagine the sorts of dangerous thoughts running through the genius' mind at that very moment.

"I thank you for your hospitality," Max replied, bowing deeply. Shirogane was now irritably scratching the back of his neck - after all, _he_ was the one who would now have to live here with Max. I couldn't blame him. Akasaka-san supposedly stayed in an apartment a few blocks away when he wasn't pulling all-nighters with Shirogane - where things were much quieter.

"You'll have to follow the rules..." Shirogane grumbled, glaring at the new cafe resident with a look that could kill, "And the first one you'll need to observe: I want you to go upstairs and take a shower. A long one. With soap."

Ha!

Max swayed a bit, catching his balance and nervously following the path Shirogane's finger was making towards the staircase, "I apologize..."

"Straight up the stairs, to your right, second door on the right. Mess around up there and I'll-!" the blond paused when Akasaka-san gave him a warning glance.

Max was in for an adventure all right.

When he had finally disappeared from sight, the blond turned his eyes back on the rest of us, "Now, about this encounter?"

I tried my best to explain the entire battle and what the alien girl had looked like. Shirogane nodded along on occasion, glancing over at Akasaka-san every so often to confirm when a particular detail seemed important.

"I couldn't tell how strong she was," I concluded, "But she did seem pretty confident..."

"If she was confident of her abilities beyond a doubt, she would have finished you off right then and there," Shirogane answered, "She probably has other reasons for coming to Earth, although they may all lead to the same end."

"Shirogane... I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help..." Masaya's warm dark eyes met his icy blue.

The blond teenager eyed Masaya, finally giving a shrug, "I know what it's like to feel like you can't do anything. You should just take Ichigo home."

That was probably best.

Masaya didn't seem quite satisfied with the other boy's answer, but he nodded his head.

"And Ichigo... bring R2000 by tomorrow. I'll do a scan on the area so that we can upgrade his abilities. With that, he should be able to detect any new disturbances that appear the very instant that they do."

"Okay," I responded without much argument, "But... what'll we do about _that guy_?"

Shirogane heaved another sigh, "We'll worry about that one later. Besides, I can monitor him easily as long as he's in the cafe. He won't be able to get away with anything if he tries."

"Well, that's good..." I breathed. I was still waiting for Shirogane to yell at me and tell me I was a total idiot, but it never came.

"I'll go check on our guest," Akasaka-san offered, "Be careful on your way home, Ichigo-san."

"Thanks, Akasaka-san!"

And with that, the brunette ascended the steps. Shirogane followed his guardian with his eyes, then stalked across the room to the front door and swung it open for us.

"Okay, so, I'll come in to work a little early tomorrow so you can fix up Masha," I murmured, making a mental note of this as I spoke, "Oh! And, uh... I'm sorry about-"

"Don't worry about it," Shirogane stated. He had that expression on his face, as he usually did, which made it impossible to decipher his thoughts. I had to wonder what it would be like if he'd take the mask off - just once. But, that didn't really matter much, did it? Shirogane was Shirogane. And he always would be.

"If you're sure..." I answered hesitantly, turning my head to see that Masaya was still standing beside me.

"I'm sure. And you'll be here at seven tomorrow morning."

"SEVEN?!" I croaked, "But we don't open until NINE tomorrow!"

"Seven," the blond repeated matter-of-factly.

I started whining. Seven-o-clock was... really, really insanely early. That meant I'd have to set my alarm for... six? I was getting sleepy just thinking about it.

Masaya gave a smile in an attempt to end this, "...Good night, Shirogane."

"Yeah. And don't let that guy get away with anything else!" I added in a forceful tone.

The blond blinked calmly, "Don't worry about that. I won't make the same dumb mistake that you did."

There it was! I was about to go into another shouting fit, but Masaya pulled me out into the night air just in time to prevent it. "Goodbye, Shirogane."

* * *

**-- Ch. 03; Act. 02 - How to make a guest feel welcome. (version. Ryou)**

I rolled my eyes as I shut the door behind them, forcing down the idea of having walked Ichigo home myself. It was too bad that I had gotten up, since things would have been much nicer for me if I had simply shoved a pillow over my head to block out the catgirl's whining and gone back to sleep.

Muttering a random insult under my breath, I took a silver key off its hook in the kitchen and stuffed it into the lock on the basement door. The hinges gave an irritable squeak as the door swung open, letting musty air escape from the dark prison and into my nostrils. I really should have let the basement air out more often, but I didn't want to deal with any adventurous customers wandering down there, either. I hooked my fingers around the railing and headed down, my long legs easily allowing me to skip steps as I did so. Flicking on a switch, I roused the scattered light sources awake. This was soon followed by a chorus of humming from various PCs, overhead projectors, and other equipment. A map of Tokyo began to appear on one of the projectors, making a series of blips as the computer began to highlight certain areas in red.

"Looks like this isn't over just yet." I was almost a little pleased at that. I hadn't had much to do in quite a while, and frankly, waiting on tables wasn't my forte. Not only was I convinced that I looked like a dork in the waiter's uniform, but I had managed to pick up a number of female admirerers - something I'd much rather avoid since none of them interested me. They all gave off "fangirl" vibes, and everyone knows fangirls are obsessive and noisey. Local businesses didn't seem too interested in buying research off of me either. After all, I didn't have strict loyalties to any of them. Who was to say that I wouldn't discover something greater and sell it off to someone else?

I swung out an office chair and plunked myself down in it, my fingers moving expertly across the keyboard as I typed in the system's username and password.

Nobody had ever tried to hack into the cafe's computer system before, but I knew that the task would be far too easy. You see, the password was simply _her name_. Yes, _hers_. It was stupid of me, but I didn't have the heart to change it even now. It was obvious that Ichigo would never love me - I knew that. But still, just the name inspired something in me. If nothing else, you could call it pride. She was a constant reminder that I had managed to achieve something not only for myself, but for my father, and for humanity itself. And now... it looked like another round was about to begin. I waited as the scanning program booted up and went to work on each region, tapping my nails boredly against the desk infront of me.

"Keiichiro's going to get it tomorrow..."

* * *

**-- Ch. 03; Act. 03 - A lesson in hospitality. (version. Max)**

I waited awkwardly inside this brilliantly-colored building for the other adult to return.

The brunette had found some clean clothes in the cafe's storage. They were nothing special, just a pair of black pants and a T-shirt advertising a random book club that Ryou had subscribed to, he said. (No doubt Ryou had shoved it in a box so he'd never be persuaded to wear it.)

I - now squeaky clean, but still an unshaved mess even by my own standards - accepted them gratefully, "I don't believe I caught your name..."

The ponytailed adult smiled, "Ah, I'm sorry. My name is Keiichiro Akasaka. I'm the cafe's cook."

Of course. I blinked, "You're a chef?"

Akasaka-kun laughed a little, "Actually, I'm an archaeologist, but I bake pastries at the cafe when things are busy. Other matters have put my own research on hold."

"I see..." I murmured thoughtfully, "I guess I have you to thank for letting me stay here, although I was a bit surprised..."

The cafe manager's smile didn't falter, "It was nothing. I just felt it was something I should do."

"Something you should do for someone you can't trust?"

"Actually, I have my doubts that a guilty person would ask such a thing," Akasaka-kun continued, watching as I disappeared back into the bathroom, and returned in the borrowed clothes.

"If you need anything, you should go talk to Ryou. Just be sure to knock. He hates it when people barge in on him unannounced," he advised.

"I'll remember that..." I sighed, "However, he's rather intimidating... I'll admit that I'm afraid of him..."

Akasaka-kun simply smiled, "Ryou's not a frightening person once he lets you get to know him, but I must be leaving now... I'll be back to open in the morning, so have a good rest."

I watched him leave. I sincerly doubted that I would be able to get anywhere near the blond teenager. That just wasn't going to work at all... I was also a bit worried now that Akasaka-kun was leaving because that meant there was nothing to stop Ryou from giving me a piece of his mind, or at worst - kicking me out.

But other than that, where was I supposed to spend the night?

Walking out into the hallway in search of a spare room (or even a spare couch), I nearly ran head-first into the scientist.

"Excuse me..." I mumbled nervously under my breath.

"Where are you going?" the blond questioned in a voice which indicated that he was not in the mood for nonsense. Up close, he was actually a rather handsome boy. It was a shame he seemed to be so serious all the time. Constantly. Didn't he ever smile? Perhaps under these circumstances, and having had his sleep interrupted... it was understandable.

"I was just wondering..." I replied through my mess of hair, "...where I should sleep..."

Ryou seemed to consider this, and finally responded, "There's a study room at the other end of the hall. There's a sofa that's fairly comfortable, but you'll have to move the books that are laying on top of it somewhere else in the meantime."

Observing me for a second more more, Ryou pushed past the me on his way back to what I presummed was his room and shut the door behind him.

I stood motionlessly for a moment, then proceeded to follow through with the teen's instructions. Finding the sofa, I began to transport the volumes of books to a nearby table. I caught a few titles as I did so: _Decyphering D.N.A._, _The Genome Project: 2nd Edition_, _A Guide to the World's Rarest Species_...

So this was what Tokyo Mew Mew was based on. No, what it was actually based on was the so-called "Mew Project". It was something Tokyo whispered about but knew nothing of.

Removing the final publication, I started as a sea of papers leaked out of it and onto the floor. Bending down to pick them up and place them back in what I prayed was the correct order, I couldn't help but scan the documents for their origin.

"So this is what I was _actually_ looking for..." I breathed, as I found myself gazing down at what appeared to be the contents of a research journal that someone had copied down in English in a rather messy and very loopy script.

A small smile crossed my face as the realization fully hit me, "Well, it looks like things will be getting a lot more interesting from here on out..."


	5. 04: How to blend with the cafe crowd

_**"When I was a young boy, my father took me into the city...  
He said, 'Son, when you grow up, will you be the savior of the broken, the beaten...?'  
'Will you defeat them: your demons and all the non-believers? The plans that they have made?  
Because one day I'll leave you, a phantom to lead you in the summer...'"**_

_- "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance.  
(Please check out tokyowanderer's video on youtube that introduced me to this song.)_

_Note: The Chinese version of Mew Pudding/Purin's name is actually Bu-Ling Huang. Here, I used the Japanese version when the speaker/thinker is a Japanese teen and would probably use the more familiar Japanese pronunciation and the Chinese version when the speaker's and adult that might know some Chinese._

* * *

_When you lose someone... you see them everywhere. Their image fills your dreams, the streets where you walk, the walls that surround you. It's overwhelming... You're left with the good times, the bad times, and all the things you never got to do... or say... or..._

**TOMORROW'S SOLACE**

**-- Ch. 04; Act. 01 - A rude awakening. (version. Ryou)**

Blinded by the sunlight pouring in from the single window, I pulled myself out of bed. I was still groggy, and had to pause for a moment for my head to clear. Fragments of the previous night's dreams still hung in my head. Though I wished I could physically hold on to some of them, others I was grateful to surrender.

I didn't think they'd ever let me go in peace.

Stumbling towards the bathroom, and stripping my shirt, my mind finally snapped back to reality. I stood there squinting at the closed door for a moment with my hand grasping the knob, hesitating to thrust the door open.

_Oh yeah... that guy..._

I groaned, hoping against hope that a huge mess wouldn't be awaiting me. Considering that man's appearance, the bathroom could be the picture of disaster; it was the only upstairs bathroom. And even if it wasn't a mess... the thought of sharing a bathroom with someone so filthy... was...

I shuddered. Maybe I would just have to find somewhere else to shower. There was a hotspring nearby that I had heard was pleasant, but then, making the trip three times a day (because I always showered three times a day) would just be a hassle. And annoying.

With an effort, I managed to force the door open, only to find the bathroom in much the same manner I had last seen it. I snatched up my toothbrush, squirting some toothpaste on it, and shoved it into my mouth to get rid of any hints of morning breath... before realizing what I was doing.

_What if that guy had used it last night without thinking? _It was obvious that he had at least utilized my bathroom because the faucet in the shower was dripping slightly, but I didn't see more than a single toothbrush, or towel for that matter.

Turning the shade of an eggshell at the thought of what germs I might be picking up by sharing a toothbrush with Max and whether the toothbrush itself might now suddenly (and quite impossibly) have become radioactive, I quickly spat out the mixture, managing to choke myself in the process.

"Well, aren't you the earlybird?" Having conveniently forgotten to knock, the adult's voice floated to my ears as I leaned over the sink. It probably didn't cross his mind to rush over and pat me on the back to help halt my coughing fit, because the voice stayed in one spot.

Wiping my mouth off with an arm, I finally glanced behind me to see Max's shabby head poking itself in from the hallway. The only reply I could give was a slight grunt of annoyance and frustration, which apparently held no meaning for the other male.

"You don't need to worry about your stuff, Akasaka-kun found me a spare toothbrush and an extra towel from the closet downstairs," Max stated, sounded slightly amused.

I had to wonder just how much of my toothpaste-spitting antics Max had actually seen.

"Fine," I eventually grumbled, "Now would you get out?"

Max sighed and awkwardly backed out into the hall to let me shut and lock the door in his face. I stood on the other end of the door, pushing my weight against it and rubbing my head in frustration. What was it going to take to regain the peace and quiet I enjoyed alone after everyone went home?

"Keiichiro... why are you making me do this?" I growled through my teeth.

* * *

**-- Ch. 04; Act. 02 - How to blend with the cafe crowd. (version. Max)**

"Best not to bother the boy in the mornings..." I whispered, making a mental note of this as I disappeared down the steps and emerged in the dining area. It was still too early for customers, apparently, being a Saturday, all of the girls were already present, although they were moving about like the living dead.

"Why in the world does Shirogane force us to work early on weekends?" Ichigo was complaining while mopping a section of the floor, "I even came in early like he told me too, then he decides to sleep in! Geez...!" Ichigo leaned on the mop handle, letting her eyes shut wearily. Just as he had ordered, Ichigo had gotten up at six that morning and had arrived a mere five minutes after seven. It was eight-o-clock now.

"Came in early, came in early!" a fluffy pink... thing? was chirping from the windowsill. _Was that a robot?_

I paced across the floor where Ichigo had not yet mopped and tried to get a better look at the strange creature. It was fluffy and resembled a cat's head with large round eyes, small wings that kept it aloft, and a lion's tail. It looked more like an oversized cellphone mascot than anything, to be honest. However, what I didn't realize was that by getting a good look at it, I was actually leaning over Ichigo.

Feeling a presence just a little too close for comfort, the catgirl's eyes shot open to find... well, me. The girl shrieked, slamming the mop down on my head. I will admit, even my wife never hit that hard... it was quite painful.

"KYAA! Pervert! Hentai! Disgusting, nyaaaaaaa!" she screamed at me; by this time I was now a heap on the floor.

"Ichigo-san, what's wrong?" Akasaka-kun's voice was urgent as he hurried from the kitchen to find the distressed Mew Mew holding out the mop like a baseball bat, cat ears and tail twitching violently, leaving the rest of the cafe members speechless.

"Your friend's a pervert!" she screamed again, causing even Akasaka-kun to raise a hand to his ears.

"I- I wasn't doing anything!" I protested, raising my head cautiously. All of this was simply reminding me of my old age, something I preferred not to explore.

"Sure, sure. That's what they all say!" Ichigo shouted in a mocking tone.

"Tasuku-san, what happened?" Akasaka-kun inquired patiently. Akasaka-kun had been kind in introducing me to the others earlier.

The other boy just gave a shrug, "I wasn't really paying attention, but then I heard a scream and... turned to find this. Hehe..."

His girlfriend gave him a sharp jab with her shoulder, "Tasuku!"

"Well it was funny," he defended, poking his lip out in an attempt to appeal to the blond, "Berii, why are you always so mean to me?"

"Because I _know_ you!" she shot back, pinching his ear and making him wince.

Akasaka-kun shook his head with a sigh, helping me back up.

"Now what exactly happened...?" the pastry chef sighed.

I was rubbing the lump that had formed on my head, obviously trying to keep from getting angry, which was difficult but successful, "I was just trying to get a good look at that pink creature floating in the corner..."

Ichigo gave me a weird look and blinked, "You mean... Masha?"

"Masha here, Masha here!" the little robot called cheerfully.

"Yes. Exactly..."

"See there, Ichigo-san? No harm done... Max-san just wanted to get a better look at our team mascot," said Akasaka-kun gently as he carefully pried the weapon from the girl's fingers and returned it to the broom closet where it couldn't give anyone else a headache.

"I'm very sorry, Ichigo-chan," I added after the 23-year-old had left.

Ichigo still looked as if she was suspicious of me and stomped off towards the kitchen, "Next time, you better not interrupt my work!"

Bu-Ling folded her arms casually infront of herself, "Ah, so mysterious, na no da... this case might call for some detective work."

Retasu, who had just completed her task of sweeping the sidewalk, came up behind the short yellow girl who seemed to be talking to no-one-in-particular. Having very little clue what the monkey girl meant, Retasu likely went against her better judgment and decided to ask, "Uh... what's mysterious, Purin-san?"

Bu-Ling spun with sudden energy and took the porpoise Mew by the hands, an excited gleam dancing across her face, "Suspicious no da! Very strange no da! So, are you up to it, Dr. Watson?"

"Eh... eh?" Retasu looked as if she was beginning to feel faint. I pitied her a little bit.

"We will discover the funny man's true motives, no da!" came Bu-Ling's declaration.

"P-P--!!" was Retasu's failed protest as the hyperactive girl began dragging her towards the changing room.

I was standing some distance away, shaking my head in dismay as the two girls disappeared, "Don't they realize that I'm standing right here?"

* * *

**-- Ch. 04; Act. 03 - How to hatch the perfect plan. (version. Ichigo)**

I paced around in the kitchen as I waited for Shirogane to show up. I was extremely peeved and I felt my blood boiling over. In any case, he really deserved a piece of my mind! How dare he spend the morning sleeping when I had come in for work early, just like he asked?

Avoiding any cooking equipment or utensils, my eyes flickered from shelf to shelf and oven to fridge. It was a nice kitchen, really, if you could cook that is. But, in my case, I couldn't... well, it wasn't that I couldn't... it was just that it was a disaster whenever I _DID_. Even I had to admit that, since a few years earlier I had practically given Purin food poisoning when I was trying to make Valentine's chocolate for Masaya.

Hearing footsteps coming down the hall, I peeked my head just slightly over the saloon-style door to see who it was and then yanked him inside before he could protest.

The blond let out a slight huff, pulling his arm away from me and focusing his sharp gaze on my face instead.

"What is it?" he asked, adjusting the two leather straps that went around his upper arms. After all this time I had yet to figure out why in the world he would dress the way he did. Did he really think it made him look 'cool'?

"Shirogane, this is becoming a really big problem!" I insisted.

"Huh? What is...?" he asked, still halfway asleep.

"That pervert. Max! We have to get rid of him and fast!" I continued forcefully, pointing a finger in his face. He didn't so much as bat an eyelash at it.

Finally Shirogane replied, "I don't like this at all either... but what about your identity? If he leaked it to the press, it could turn into a huge mess, and frankly, I don't want to deal with it."

"Can't you just turn him into a rat or something?" I growled, even though I knew that Shirogane couldn't exactly do that, even if what he **did** do completely went over my head. "You **are** the scientific genius here! You must have some ideas!"

"Yeah, but you can't just go around turning people you don't like into small animals. Besides, despite what you think, Strawberry, it's not that simple."

I knew that. I did know it! But he wasn't helping at all.

"Stillllllllll!" I complained, "Do **something!**" I was bending my knees, hands balled up, trying to give him _that look. _

Minto strode in momentarily to refill her teapot. Glancing from one of us to the other, she just had to open her mouth.

"Ah, it looks like Ichigo is about to give you _that loo_k, Ryou. You know, the one they classify as the 'desperate kitty look' that's supposed to make you feel bad and bend to her will. Yes, indeed, now her eyes begin to tear, and she bites her lip in frustration..."

"Minto, shut up and go away!" I shouted, my face burning.

"Very well," she gave in, her lips curling upwards in triumph.

I was still fuming, even after she had left. _Stupid Minto! Stupid Minto! Urgh!_

"You know, Minto has a point. You're pretty predictable when it comes to persuasion methods, Strawberry. Maybe it's about time you tried something new," Shirogane's voice said directly into my ear, making me shriek. Apparently he had drawn closer when I was distracted.

"Don't do that!" I yelled, my arms flailing.

"What am I doing?" he inquired, straightening and raising an eyebrow as he usually did.

"Just... **that**!"

"You're not making any sense," he stated.

I gave up. There was no way I was going to come up with a comeback today, and I needed his help.

Shirogane frowned, placing his hands on his hips in thought. Finally, a mischievous smile spread across the blond's face. My pleading look was beginning to turn hopeful as I tilted my head slightly and awaited his next move.

"I think I know how we can drive him out of the cafe and out of our lives for good," he said, "But, since you're the one he's got blackmail on, you're going to have to help me..."

My face fell instantly. I thought about this. What exactly was Shirogane going to make me do?

However, after a while, I nodded my head in agreement. He wouldn't make me do anything outrageous, right? Well, this _was_ Shirogane... so who really knew? But at least with a genius on my side, whatever he had come up with was bound to be a success.

"Okay," I agreed, "What do we have to do?"

"I'll tell you," he said slyly, crossing his arms infront of him, "But first..."

"Huh?" I blinked.

"Your ears," he sighed.

Blinking again, I brought my hands up to my head to find two fuzzy appendages protruding from my head. _Not again..._

"Sh-shut up..." I grumbled.

* * *

Shirogane was working over a hot stove, stirring a pot full of a rather thick mixture with a wooden spoon. Not something he seemed too thrilled about.

"Shirogane, are you sure this is going to work?" I asked doubtfully, even though I was hovering over his right shoulder to see exactly what he was doing to whatever-it-was boiling on the stove. Even though this had been the result of **my** begging in the first place.

"Look, there's no way that this will fail," the blond stated confidently, passing the spoon over his shoulder to me.

I blinked at it for a moment.

"WHAT? You want **me** to-?" I started, but was interrupted by Shirogane clamping a hand over my mouth just seconds after I had taken hold of the cooking utensil.

"Of course I want you to cook this. That way I know it'll give him indigestion," he hissed quietly, focusing his intense blue gaze on my face. It made me just a little uncomfortable. That's an understatement, just so you know.

I made a face, tempted to smack him or at least bite the hand that was covering my mouth, but I resisted, shooting him my best glare in return, and traded places with him to mix whatever-it-was that we were going to feed to dear Maxie. Just the smell made me want to throw up, and I hadn't laid a finger on it yet.

"What's _in_ this anyway?" I inquired cautiously.

"I've no idea, but it shouldn't be toxic," came the blond's answer as he leaned back against the counter and watched me at work. Again that uncomfortable feeling was washing over me. It's hard to explain.

Akasaka-san luckily chose that moment to check up on us and relieve me of some of my nervousness. His eyes drifted back and forth between Shirogane and me curiously, but it was obvious even he knew something was wrong about this scene. Had he figured out Shirogane's plan already?

"Are things going well in here?"

"Oh, absolutely," my boss stated with little emotion and absolutely no eye contact whatsoever.

Akasaka-san attempted to address me instead, since he was getting nowhere with the blond, "When will lunch be ready, Ichigo-san? Would you like some help?"

"N-n-no, everything's great! It'll be done in just a few minutes!" I insisted, flashing him a smile.

Finally he nodded, turning his attention back to Ryou who was observing me once more.

"Don't worry, I'm watching her," the blond assured him, indicating that he wouldn't let me poison everyone with _my latest creation_.

Akasaka-san smiled politely one last time before striding from the room.

After he had gone, I glanced back at my employer, with a guilt-ridden look, "Shirogane..."

"What is it now?" he grumbled, "You wanted to get rid of him too. We can't back down now."

"Yes, but... I think I just dumped half a bottle of hot sauce in this stuff..."


	6. 05: How to outsmart a genius

**TOMORROW'S SOLACE**

**-- Ch. 05; Act 01 - How to get rid of an unwanted houseguest. Plan A. (version. Ryou)**

About ten minutes after Ichigo had finished adding to what I would like to call a "masterpiece", a meal was spread out on a cafe table with four people and one robot hovering around it.

"You kids sure went all out on lunch..." Max noted, cupping his chin in one hand as he looked it over. He didn't comment on the smell, however, which would have been a bit rank even if he had had a cold. Which he didn't.

"Ryou... is this a new recipe of yours?" Keiichiro inquired, looking over at me. I had counted on this much... Keiichiro was a culinary genius after all, and since he knew all of the cafe's recipes like the back of his hand... and since he could read me almost as well as he could read his own mind...

"It's an experiment..." I explained calmly, "I assure you the taste is to die for." I could hear the catgirl shifting nervously beside me. Maybe I shouldn't have dragged her into this... but what could it hurt? I enjoyed bossing her around.

The phone rang before he could question me further, demanding attention. Keiichiro went to answer it as I silently thanked Rei Nishina for actually going along with my request and calling the cafe at this precise time.

Keiichiro returned a moment later, looking a bit distraught.

"What is it, Akasaka-kun?" Max was the first to ask.

"It was Rei-san..." Keiichiro replied, glancing at me as I raised an eyebrow in question, "She said she found a mineral at her study site that she wasn't able to identify. She thinks there might be a connection between it's presence in the area and a species of butterfly that she's researching, and believes that if there is, this could be a huge breakthrough. So I'm afraid I'll have to decline the invitation to dine with all of you."

"It's quite alright..." Max assured him, "I'm sure there will be other opportunities."

Keiichiro nodded, sweeping into a bow, and then rising to grab a jacket and head out.

Max turned nervously to Ichigo and me, "I suppose this means it'll just be the three of us..."

I put on a troubled face, glancing at my watch, "Actually, Ichigo and I had other plans. Maybe next time."

Before the girl could even think to protest, I had clamped a strong hand around her wrist and was tugging her with me towards the door.

"Oh..." Max mumbled in a puzzled tone, "It's a date, then?"

Hearing this, Ichigo's face turned a dark, angry red.

"It's not a date, I can tell you that!" she fumed loudly.

Max held back a chuckle, "So I see..."

Before Ichigo could protest further, I had dragged her out the door, down the front steps, and around the side of the building where I ducked beneath one of the stained glass windows and finally released her.

"Shirogane!" she hissed, "Why'd you have to say something like **that**? And you have **no right** dragging me around like some animal!" Oh. She was ticked. But I didn't have time to be amused by this; my attention was on the window.

"Quiet," I ordered in a hushed voice.

"Hm?" Ichigo blinked vacantly before realizing that I was observing Max's actions. She turned on her tiptoes and joined me in peering through the window.

Inside Max had been left to his own devices. Masha was hovering a few meters away, trying to be companionable.

"It looks like it's just you and me..." the adult sighed, pulling out a chair and lowering himself slowly into it.

"You and me, you and me!" Masha cheered, landing lightly on the table infront of him.

"Well, there's no point in letting all of this good food go to waste, is there?" he asked no one in particular, reaching for the sugar bowl in the center of the table.

"What's he doing?" Ichigo whispered.

"Dunno..." I replied with a frown, studying the old man's every move.

Max had begun spooning sugar into his food. First one spoonful, then three, then another and another... With each spoon of sugar, the looks on our faces became more and more baffled, until finally Max took a large forkful of the mixture to his lips and ate it.

Ichigo and I stared on from the other side of the glass, waiting for a reaction of any sort. Choking, hacking, color-changing, even reaching desperately for the water pitcher... but none ever came.

Max shook his head, taking another bite after that, "It's rather bland, actually. But it's not bad."

"Shirogane, what the heck are we up against!?" Ichigo hissed. Was this guy indestructable or what? Who could possibly eat that?

I shook my head in disbelief, looking rather pale, "I have no earthly idea..."

"So **now** what?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips and staring at me like I was an eight ball who had just given her an answer she didn't want.

"What do you mean 'now what'?" I asked, scratching my neck nervously, "This just means we'll have to proceed to Plan B."

"Oh... right! ...wait, what's 'Plan B'?"

"Come on, Strawberry... consider this war."

Ichigo huffed in annoyance, but begrudingly followed.

* * *

**-- Ch. 05; Act 02 - How to get rid of an unwanted houseguest. Plan B. (version. Ichigo)**

"Done," the blond announced half an hour later, stepping back from the couch.

"Shirogane, I hate to break it to you, but it even **looks** like you did something to the sofa. He's going to notice..." I admitted, running a hand over the now paper-stuffed cushion. Not only that, Shirogane had made sure to starch the blankets; they were scratchy. He had also thrown some random items under the cushions for good measure: springs, hardcover books, a belt chain...

"How's he going to notice when he can hardly see through that nest of hair?" Shirogane pointed out, unphased.

"Just like he managed to eat our connotation..."

"'Concoction', Ichigo."

"Whatever..." I grumbled, wondering where my boss' genius had gone to when it came to things like this.

* * *

**-- Ch. 05; Act 03 - How to outsmart a genius. (version. Ryou)**

My alarm went off at exactly 7AM the next morning. I awoke refreshed. It was going to be a beautiful day.

Tiptoeing down the hallway, I peered into the study room to find it devoid of Max. Very good. Very, _very_ good. Now to check the rest of the cafe...

Heading downstairs, I found that the dining area was also Max-free. _So far, so good..._ Continuing to the kitchen, I found Keiichiro working alone, flipping pancakes onto a large platter.

Rubbing down my hair, I rested my weight on the counter, watching him, "Hey, Keiichiro. What's the occasion? I never see you fixing pancakes for breakfast anymore."

I had to admit that I rather wished he would. Sure, he served them to customers when they ordered him, but I found myself missing my guardian's cooking. They weren't Mama's pancakes to be sure, but they were the next best thing.

Keiichiro smiled, preparing a tray and sliding it across the counter to me, "It has been a while, hasn't it? I asked Max-san this morning and he said he'd love to try them. Would you mind taking these to him?"

My high spirits immediately fell, "...where?"

Keiichiro added a butter dish, maple syrup, and a steaming cup of tea to the tray as he spoke, "It appears he spent the night on the balcony. Max-san is a very interesting person, isn't he? He also said that you and Ichigo-san were wonderful cooks and that he hoped you would have the opportunity to make a meal for him again."

Well, I had just about had it. Soon I arrived on the balcony, standing there crossly with tray in hand as the sun danced off my hair.

Max did indeed appear to have spent the night outside judging from the rolled up sleeping bag in the corner. The adult was presently standing with his hands gripping the railing, watching passersby - scattered dots sliding up and down the hillside and the web of sidewalk that led from the cafe deeper into the park. His attention soon shifted to me, however. It was hard not to notice the tension in the air.

"Good morning, Ryou-kun. You really should join me next time. The weather's especially nice for this time of year, and the cafe is far enough away from the city where you can actually see the stars at night." Max's cheerful tone did not falter, not even after my frown deepened.

I merely rolled my eyes, "I'd rather you didn't take a familiar tone with me. Keiichiro sent me with your breakfast."

"I see. Thank you very much," the man replied, taking the tray from my hands with ease.

I said nothing in response, but inside of me there was a storm. You may have to ignore my dislike of storms to make that analogy work out...

"Is something wrong?"

The way he asked it caught me off-guard. The tone was one I expected out of a grandfather or an uncle or something, not one who had blackmail against the Mew Project. For a moment, I found myself yearning for adult company, someone who wasn't Keiichiro to give me a different perspective on whether or not I was doing the right thing with my life. It was not long after this thought crossed my mind that I shoved it back down. I refused to fall for this. Keiichiro might be fool enough to trust Max, but I was not going to do the same. It angered me to think that this guy assumed I would sway easily.

"Nothing," I replied sharply after a short time had passed, and I turned away.

Max fell silent, as if the words that had come out of my mouth actually hurt him.

"Should I be asking whether or not there's salt in this cup of tea?"

I grew rigid, staring behind me with fiery eyes.

Nervously, Max offered a smile in return, "You know, we do not have to be enemies..."

I shook my head, "I don't know why Keiichiro agreed to it, but I don't want you here. I'm not going to fall for the whole 'let's be friends' act, even if it works on him. Just as soon as I figure out who you're working for and what you're really after, I'll be having the police relocating you."

Max's voice grew quiet, "I... I see..."

With that said, I retreated, leaving Max to stand there alone.

"Ah... if only I could tell you..." Max murmured to himself, taking a sip of the tea which had long since grown cold, "But for now, I suppose I'll just have to fight prank with prank... after all, you deserve a fair fight."

* * *

**-- Ch. 05; Act 04 - The outcome. (version. Ryou)**

At 9AM a I finally wandered into the bathroom to take a shower, and exactly fourteen minutes later, I walked out with red hair. Purin had been brave enough to ask about it, and had only gotten a growl in response. Ichigo had just laughed. Retasu tried to console me, assuring me that it would wear out soon, and that I could try dying it in the meantime to make the color less vibrant.

At noon when I went to rinse my mouth out with Listerine, I found that it had been replaced with rubbing alcohol. And at 1PM, a bucket of chilled water - still accompanied by icecubes - came crashing down on my head when I opened the back door to take out the trash.

And so, dinnertime came with me holding my crimson-dyed head in my hands miserably, wondering what else would befall my person.

"You know... we could call it a truce..." Max offered, his voice carrying a hint of concern as he sat down across from me.

One aquamarine eye glared in stubborn response, "Not. A. Chance."

The adult sighed, "Very well then..."

A whole can of glue, a few smoke bombs, and a couple thousand of my threats later, I found myself in the very same situation with the addition of a bruised knee from having tumbled down the steps after another of Max's counterattacks.

Keiichiro had finally caught light of the entire situation and demanded a "cease-fire". Max was our guest, and blah blah blah... I had stopped listening halfway through the lecture. What did Keiichiro know about it?

I was still sore. For the first time in my life, I was losing at something.

I slumped on the bed, staring wearily at the ceiling before flipping over onto my stomach and removing the photograph from its resting place.

My fingers brushed the dust from the frame, and I found myself tracing the outlines of my parents. Were they really up there somewhere, watching me? What in the world did they even think if they were? I stared hard for a moment at the boy in the picture. Had I ever been this small and this happy? It seemed as if I was staring at a complete and total stranger. A cousin or something.

_'No, it's the third time,'_ I corrected myself silently. Hadn't I already lost at life and love?

For that matter, could I even manage to continue living in this way? Sure, there was the clean-up process, but what would I do now? It crossed my mind for the first time in a while that I might very well be single for the rest of my life.

But it **was** the first time I had lost in a battle of wits.

And for a genius, that is unacceptable.


	7. 06: How to let the cat out of the bag

_**Author's Note:** WARNING FOR (Ryou x Ichigo) FLUFF right off the bat. Just letting you know, and there may be more. If it bugs you, skip the first paragraph or so until you see speaking in all caps. This chapter's all Ryou's perspective. I apologize for the long wait for those who wanted this; I haven't written in a while so it may take a bit for me to get going again. Please review! _

* * *

**TOMORROW'S SOLACE**

**-- Ch. 06; Act 01 - A meeting and a proposition. (version. Ryou)**

I could feel her fingers tracing the line of my jaw as she pulled me closer, placing her lips to my forehead. I couldn't do anything. I was overwhelmed with my own emotions to the point where I couldn't even speak. This was the happiest I had felt in a very long time, not since Mama and Papa were alive.

I must have been distracted because she poked my nose then with her index finger, making me squint my eyes shut out of reflex. She giggled, a soft sound that made my heart want to stop. When I opened my eyes again, her own warm eyes were watching me, and she was smiling.

"Ryou," she prodded, running her fingers through my hair, "What would you do for me?"

I blinked at her for a moment, coming back to my senses, "What would I do?"

She giggled again and nodded, "If I asked you to do something embarassing or dangerous or just plain crazy, would you?"

My voice had caught in my throat again and I had to look down. How was I supposed to tell her? Or was I? I'd look like such an idiot to her... but I just **had** to.

"Anything," I voiced firmly, plucking her hand from my hair and pressing it between my own two hands. Turning my eyes to look up directly into hers, I continued, "I'd do anything if it would convince you to stay right here. Forever."

She looked surprised. Why? Couldn't she grasp what I was trying to say?

Releasing her hand again, I brought my face close to hers, tilting my head slightly and letting my eyelids drop. _Just let me kiss you..._

"Don't you know how much I want to love you..? ...Ichigo..." I whispered.

**"BRRRIING BRRRIING! ICHIGO HAS SENT MASHA TO WAKE SHIROGANE UP! Rise and shine!"** I was jarred from my dream, roughly I might add, and ended up knocking the back of my skull against the headboard. Luckily I had missed my picture and the alarm clock by a mile, but the throbbing in my head...

"Ugh..." I moaned, glaring at the pink robot who fluttered down onto my shoulder and nuzzled against my cheek.

"Masha will tell Ichigo that Shirogane is awake! Okay, okay!" And with that, R2000 glided back off down the hallway.

Rising from beneath the mountain of sheets and crossing the room, I grabbed the vest that was lying on my office chair and pulled it on.

"Great timing," I muttered, trying to recover mentally by reassuring myself that at least the robot was now in good working order - and able to detect the Chimera Anima. I supposed it was fair enough that Ichigo was going to use my own creation against me, as long as the monsters would be defeated before they caused too much damage. There had been quite a few of them lately, but the one alien Ichigo had seen had not revealed herself again. It was a curious thing...

Downstairs the usual crowd was waiting, save Zakuro who was participating at a fashion show in Miami that weekend. Ichigo turned her nose up slightly at me when I arrived, her eyes squinted. Clearly she was angry that I was sleeping in when she had been working for several hours now. The only person who actually looked happy to see me was Retasu, who flushed upon my making my way into the dining area and waved her fingers in a shy greeting. I offered her as polite a nod as I could for having just been jolted awake.

"Hmmph." I felt my last nerve snap with that one noise. I turned to the redhead.

"What?" I shot back grumpily, "Did you miss spending time with me this morning?"

The catgirl's face reddened immediately, fire burning in her amber eyes, "No, of course not! You were supposed to help me clean out the fridge today! I don't want to do it by myself... I don't know what's in there! Suppose I get poisoned by one of your weird experiments?"

"Can't," I responded with fake coolness, knowing that I was going to get yelled at more than usual for going back on my word, "And you're really dumb if you think I'd keep specimens in the kitchen fridge. All of those are in the freezer in the basement."

The Strawberry's thoughts must have wandered, because she shivered in disgust, "But you **said**!"

"I lied," I replied nonchalantly. "Sorry, but I'm going to be out all afternoon. It's kind of important."

I brushed past her towards the kitchen before she could protest further, opening the door of the very fridge in question and pulling out a jug of 2 milk and an apple. I actually hadn't meant to be that rude to her, but I had never been a morning person. Ever. My upcoming meeting with a number of the country's police force and government officials wasn't doing much for my current state of mind, either. Since the Chimeras were again causing havoc, these organizations were not about to leave me alone after the few letters that they had sent me - that I had not responded to. Indeed, the government was ready to cage Japan's independent superhero team and take matters into its own hands. I had no idea what to expect, really. All I knew was Keiichiro had to stay here. One, to keep an eye on Max and the girls, and also, just in case a worst case scenario should occur. It wasn't as if they _couldn't_ decide to throw me in prison, afterall. I was pretty sure I had broken no less than ten laws during the course of this endeaver.

I sighed involuntarily. How was I going to do this by myself?

Behind me, Max was finishing up a cup of coffee - decaf I assumed. Feeling his gaze upon me, I flicked my eyes over to stare coldly at him.

"Is that all you're going to eat? I know they say apples keep doctors away, but you should be having a little more than that, don't you think? You said yourself you had a busy afternoon. You'll get hungry later."

I rolled my eyes at him, stubbornly taking a bite from the apple, not bothering to finish chewing before I spoke, "What's it matter to you?"

The adult shrugged, "More than manners matter to you, apparently."

"I don't think most people worry about manners when it comes to their nemesis," I grumbled.

"Even opponents in battle have codes. In kendo both fighters bow to one another before and after a match, don't they?"

Why this had anything to do with me and him (and apples), I could not fathom, "Yeah, so?"

"And in sports both teams wait for the buzzer, correct?" he prodded further.

"It's just an apple," I concluded.

"You could stand to be a little nicer, is all I'm saying," he replied, his expression bright but also tired.

"You could stand to quit lecturing me, you know," I retorted, "Or to move out. Or to **shave**."

The shine in his eyes did not fade. Rather, the auburn-haired man appeared to be amused by my final suggestion. Rising to wash out the mug he had been using, he said, "'Perhaps' on the first note, 'not yet' on the second, and 'I'm afraid not' for that last one."

"Figures," I commented, removing the cap from the jug. Before I could bring the jug to my mouth, a warm hand seized my arm and lowered it.

"Use a glass," he instructed, "Otherwise, it's wasteful."

* * *

The wind had a lifting effect on my very being as I made my way to a congested area of downtown Tokyo. It seemed like it had been ages since I had ridden my motorbike for reason other than tailing a monster or rushing to the girls' aid. Yet, even now I wasn't cruising for leisure; I was attending a meeting. I had to stay on top of things somehow.

The building where the meeting was to be held was large, as I had expected. Upon entry I was met with immaculate conditions - the floors had recently been polished to their full brilliance so that I seemed to be walking on mirrors. The decor seemed to combine traditional Japan with the present Japan that was somehow fascinated by the West. I also noticed, almost immediately, that there were guards everywhere. They had probably been outside as well, but had managed to escape my notice.

"Shirogane-san, I presume? Please follow me," one officer spoke up. He was clean-shaven and managed to tower over me, although he was not exactly intimidating. He did, however, look like he could probably pin me against the floor in a matter of seconds.

"Right..." I responded cautiously and followed.

We passed by several closed doors, down a wide hallway with burgandy carpets, and emerged in an open area where a number of adult men were already seated on bulky couches around a low table. All attention immediately turned to me as we entered.

"So, you did come. It's been a very long time since I've laid eyes on you, Ryou-kun," the person at the head of the table responded.

It took me a moment to realize that I knew the speaker, "Takahashi-san?"

The man nodded approvingly, smoothing down his graying hair, "You look just like Elizabeth, don't you? Although, somehow like the late professor as well. I do believe it's something in your expression. Please sit down."

"Takahashi, we really don't have time for friendly chatter - this is serious," a white-haired official interjected, motioning me to sit with a certain forcefulness.

I frowned, but sat down in a vacant chair, crossing my arms in front of myself. At the older man's cue, the guards lined up around the exits. There was no escaping, that much had been made clear.

"I assume you're aware of the letters of request we have sent you? I believe there were five total."

"Yes..." I answered stiffly.

"You read them, I hope?"

"Yes... prior to ripping them up."

The white-haired man's face contorted at that, "Don't get cheeky with me. While we do appreciate all that you and your team have done, we can't continue to overlook exactly **what** it is that you are doing."

I simply nodded, while he continued, "Where should we begin, Shirogane-san? Shall we start by reminding you that child labor laws here in Japan state that no person under the age of fifteen should be employed? And no person under the age of eighteen should be employed in a dangerous job? I believe your youngest team member when this project began was...?"

"She was ten when she started," I replied.

"What else do we have on record for you? Experimenting on young girls without consent, underground importation of rare animal DNA into Japan, reckless driving, destruction of property..."

"Hey, I don't drive recklessly... that would be my partner, and yes, he has a license," I retorted, "And I believe that the most severe damage caused was not our doing, but the work of the Chimera Anima we were trying to defeat."

The man stopped, "Is that all you have to say for yourself, Ryou Shirogane? Have you nothing else to say? Do you have any idea how much trouble you are currently in?"

"I have a pretty good idea, but without all of that, Tokyo could very well be in ruins today. Lots of innocent people could be dead. You do remember that dome, don't you? If it hadn't been for us, the built up heat and pressure inside the dome could have become so much that..."

"I know, I know! Even our military forces couldn't break through it, however, there is still-!"

"He's only a child, Seto-san," Takahashi-san soothed.

"He's hardly a child, Takahashi, and he knows very well what he's doing! We can't let things like this continue; who knows what else he's capable of?"

I decided not to overstep my bounds, "Everything we did was for the good of the people; to protect them. And the girls haven't been harmed in any way. Once these attacks stop, they'll be able to return to normal."

"Do you honestly believe that, Shirogane-san? Do you really think any of their lives will be normal again?"

I frowned. While the girls did seem to be okay, and while I continued to monitor their genetic make-up, it wasn't exactly as if they would just wake up and not remember anything that happened to them.

"Well... I..."

"Exactly, exactly!" Seto-san yelled, letting his stack of papers flop down on the table.

"So, what do you propose that we do about the matter?" another of those present inquired.

"If the monsters get out of hand, there may be nothing that our forces can do to stop them. So far they haven't been nearly as effective as the Mew girls..."

There were various murmurs of agreement around the table. Maybe I really had jumped into this project way too quickly, for I had overlooked many of the consequences. I was willing to accept punishment, because truthfully, if this hadn't been done, the cost to humanity would have been far greater. But now my thoughts were on the girls. How did they feel about the Mew Project _really?_

"To get directly to the point, we have a proposition, Ryou-kun," Takahashi-san interrupted, his smile offered in my direction.

The buzz of a dozen voices talking at once eventually died down, and I could tell that some of those around me seemed to already be aware of this suggestion.

"The government is willing to overlook your offenses on several conditions. Firstly, we must have pardons in writing from each of the girls and their families; secondly, you must cooperate with us - you will inform us after each of the monsters are defeated, and when this is all over you will provide us with a full report. While I do not expect you to reveal all of Professor Jishou's notes, or your own notes and use of technology for that matter, when this mission is completed, we ask that you come to work for us at one of our research facilities where we will be able to monitor your actions and assist you."

In other words, they were willing to let the girls go...? The conditions seemed fair enough, but still... There seemed to be a few minor details missing here...

"Will you agree to these conditions?" Seto-san barked.

I must have been silent for a bit too long, because he prompted again, "...well?"

"The first two conditions I can deal with, however, I request time to consider the last. I'm not sure I like the idea of working for someone else..."

Seto-san snorted. "You do realize, do you not, that your only other option is imprisonment until you are put on trial?"

"I know."

Hiro Takahashi raised a hand, "Everyone, please. Let's give Ryou-kun a week to think about it. If he does not agree, then after things are settled with the monsters, we will take further steps. I'm sorry, Ryou-kun, but we really can't just let you off the hook."

"I understand."

"Well, that's all for today, then," Seto-san stated gruffly, "Dismissed."

I rose from my seat, my head a bit foggy. As I followed the guards back towards the entryway, I could catch some of those present muttering about how Takahashi-san had gone far too lightly on me because he was a friend of my father's, and about other notorious experiments I had surely taken part in. Right then I honestly just wanted to head back to the cafe and lay down somewhere before considering things further. As I pushed through the glass doors, I didn't bother to look back.

* * *

**-- Ch. 06; Act 02 - A discussion and a plan. (version. Max)**

I watched as Ryou left the hotel. He seemed all right at the very least, although I was surprised that the officials had gone so easy on him.

Tobikuma Seto walked up to me, shoving a stack of papers in my direction, "I assume you've written a report, Max?"

"I have," I replied, handing him a weathered leather-bound journal which he immediately snatched from my hand.

"It seems Shirogane-san has no written copy of the notes for the Mew Project. I searched everywhere and could find nothing, I even managed to hack his computer database while the cook was out."

"None? Shame. Oh well, please continue to keep an eye on things and report back to us with what you find."

"I shall do that. Thank you." I bowed politely, offering a wave at the officers, before hurrying out the door. I needed to get back to the pink cafe before anyone realized that I was missing.

Everything else aside, however, I was quite pleased. I had discovered a good deal about how the project had evolved from the initial set of research notes to its present state. Incidentally, the project was hardly anything like its predecessors, and it had managed to run through various tests in a surprisingly humane manner. There were no major failures recorded - no deaths of test subjects or other specimens save a few developing Chimeras that had been captured to record the Red Data Animals' powers. There was, however, one thing that bothered me, and that was the mention of a human test subject. No further information of that subject had been recorded, aside from the fact that there was one. Oh well, I would just have to find out for myself.

A smile crossed my face as I whispered under my breath, "Seto-san, you really should be more careful who you trust with important information. Haven't I always told you that?"

* * *

**-- Ch. 06; Act 03 - How to let the cat out of the bag. (version. Ryou)**

It happened so abruptly. So completely without warning. I never saw it coming... or, Alto never saw it coming.

No, I had not been out saving a certain catgirl from danger. Instead... I had simply been trying to avoid Max and his pitiful attempts at trying to make friends with me. The very fact that he seemed sincere did not help things, but only aggravated me further. I did not want anyone else getting close to me. I was a man of secrets, and I liked it that way. What went on in my head was something I preferred to leave within the confines of my own person. I had not even managed to bring up the details of the meeting with Keiichiro until a few moments before. I had tried several times before then, but I could never seem to catch him alone. So I had snuck out in the late evening hours to converse with him at his apartment.

And so, I had made another fatal error in coming back to the cafe - entering a darkened, occupied building without looking both ways. No sooner had I set one feline paw inside the doorway than I felt myself being lifted up to my enemy's face.

"Well, good evening. How did you wander in here? I don't think Ryou-kun will like that at all."

Alto... I, did the first thing he could think of, I took a good hard swing at the man's head, but came up short when the man held me off at a distance.

"Spunky, aren't you?" Max noted, attempting in vain to pet my head while keeping his hand and arm intact, "Well, I don't think they'll miss one slice of turkey, so long as you're gone before either of them returns."

I, however, was not concerned about turkey or even eating. Growling with as much menace as a kitten can have, I focused on wriggling out of Max's grasp before the transformation became permanent... and I only had about sixty seconds left in which to accomplish this.

Max managed a firm grip, I had to hand that to him, but I finally managed to get my teeth in contact with skin again and bit down hard. I could hear the adult sucking in his breath as the pain travelled along nerves and finally hit his brain, but he still didn't let go. I cursed in my head.

This was bad. I had very little time left before I had to transform back, and if I had to beat Max to a pulp afterwards, I would, but I would not live out the remainder of my life in this form. Hissing and spitting in vain, I made a final attempt to free myself. Max had finally wandered into the kitchen, but he was taking his time about this.

"Please, calm down. I can't just let you go. You might get lost, and if Ryou-kun finds you, I--"

"Nyaowr!"

"You could stand to be just a bit more friendly, eh? I'm only helping you achieve what you came for..."

"Nyawr! Nyawr!"

"Relax. I swear, I really--"

"..nyao..." the last was uttered somewhat feebly. Something in my brain - and the cat's - had clicked, telling me it was now or never, and the detransformation had started without my even thinking about it. Well, in any case I'd be in good position to attack Max when this was all over.

Ah, but as usual... Max's presence had negated any effects my usual luck may have had. The adult stood there stiffly, quite baffled as cyan light began to bloom around the kitten in his hands, moreso when the feline began to grow heavier and larger at a rapid pace. However, Max still hadn't let go, and as the human version of myself began to emerge, the adult was knocked off balance and came crashing down on top of me to pin me where I was now situated on the floor. _So much for having the upper hand..._

I hardly dared to open my eyes, but when I finally did I saw that Max was staring wide-eyed above me, a bit too astounded to actually say anything about the whole occurance even though his mouth was hanging open in disbelief.

"You..." Max managed weakly. I had regained my composure by this time. Flushing angrily, I shoved the adult off, rising abruptly and turning to exit the room.

"How long... have you been like this?"

The question was left unanswered.


	8. 07: How to avoid the inevitable

**TOMORROW'S SOLACE**

**-- Ch. 07; Act 01 - How to avoid the inevitable. (version. Max)**

Ryou seemed to be making every possible effort to avoid me. This habit had increased in intensity recently. If I walked into the room, he would get up and retreat into a hallway or the kitchen without a word. I was having a bit of trouble wrapping my brain around everything.

Ryou could turn into a cat. That almost certainly meant that the unnamed human subject was Ryou. But why would he do that to himself?

I stared thoughtfully into my cup of tea and wondered about all this. Surely the teenager was aware of how dangerous it was to simply inject animal DNA into your bloodstream. If only I could get into his head. It was impossible to tell what he was feeling other than the usual cranky annoyance which was ever-present when he spoke to me, and the serious expression on his face which never seemed to recede into anything even remotely resembling a smile.

I sighed audibly. This was all so very difficult. I wondered, not for the first time, if I should just give up.

"More tea, Max-san?" the voice belonged to Retasu. She was much more accepting of me than either Ryou or Ichigo. The shy girl stood about a foot from me with a gleaming silver tea pot held out in one hand. She smiled sweetly, as if I were any other customer.

"Yes, please," I requested with a grin as she shakily filled my cup.

I thought for a moment, "Retasu-chan, you know Ryou-kun pretty well, don't you? How do you know what he's thinking?"

This question caught her by surprise. She grew rigid and almost dropped the tea pot before turning her face back to me. It was bright red.

_'Ah, so she must have a crush on him,'_ I thought.

"Well, um, let's see..." She placed the prop she was holding down on the table and fidgeted with the edge of her skirt, "Shirogane-san doesn't open up to people very much, so it's almost impossible to tell what he's really feeling. But, um..."

"Go on, please," I pressed.

"There are times when he seems to be in a great deal of pain. But... I think he is a very strong person. He's always trying to help us out. It's just that sometimes when he smiles, I think it's for us. It seems kind of sad."

"I see."

There was silence for a while as the girl adjusted her glasses and retrieved the tea pot. She continued with the utmost compassion, "I admire Shirogane-san. I've noticed he doesn't seem comfortable around you, but I hope you will treat him kindly and continue trying. He's a very nice person once you get to know him."

I was somewhat touched, "Thank you."

As she walked towards another group of customers I merely shook my head. I was getting absolutely nowhere. I couldn't find any additional information on Ryou or the Mew Project. I needed to find out more or else. Or else... A knot formed in my throat. I knew all too well what would happen if I failed.

"Hey! Don't you ever do anything around here? You're worse than Minto! Instead of sitting down for tea every afternoon, you're at it all day long," it was Ichigo. She had her hands on her hips, a pose which seemed to come naturally, one hand gripping a soiled cloth that she had probably been using to wipe off tables.

"Give it a break, Ichigo. I told him not to bother because he'd scare off the customers," Minto piped up from a few tables over where she was sipping her own cup of tea.

"Still!" She complained, turning her attention back to me.

"What would you like me to do, Ichigo-chan?" I asked, placing my cup back on top of its matching saucer.

The blond girl, Bu-Ling, siddled up between me and the redhead, "Ooh! I know! You can be part of my next act, no da! How are you at balancing plates?"

"Not very good, I'm afraid," I replied.

Bu-Ling shrugged and continued energetically, "Balancing on a ball, na no da?"

"I'm a bit old to be pulling a stunt like that..."

"How about fortune telling na no da?"

"Well, maybe..." I confessed with a sweatdrop. Was she talking about performing for guests at Cafe Mew Mew or at a circus?

"Purin, that's not what I meant, you know," Ichigo spoke up.

"Ah, sorry about that na no da," Bu-Ling apologized before skipping off to find someone to entertain. The quiet one, Zakuro, was operating the cash register. She had not spoken to me since I arrived, but I had seen her stare at me in disapproval a number of times.

"How about you help Akasaka-san with the cooking?" Ichigo suggested.

I laughed at that. Apparently this joke alluded her because she just frowned at me.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo-chan. What you said wasn't particularly funny, it's just that I have a bad history when it comes to cooking anything. My wife used to chase me out of the kitchen whenever I even attempted to do such a thing."

Ichigo looked annoyed for a moment, but I could see a slight wave of curiosity drift over her, "Your wife?"

I felt my chest tighten and I looked away, "Ah... she's gone now."

Ichigo grew quiet. So quiet in fact that for a moment I thought she had left. When I finally turned my head to check, I heard her mumbling.

"Sorry."

I forced a smile, "It isn't your fault, of course. Please don't worry about it."

Ichigo shuffled her feet, draping the cloth over her arm and leaning back against one of the white-washed interior columns, "Still."

"Ah, well, things happen. How are things going with you and your boyfriend?"

Ichigo blinked a few times as she thought about this, "Fine. Masaya is more than I could ever ask for. He's caring and understanding. Everything's perfect."

"Wonderful. Although, I have been wondering about something..." I let my sentence fade off into nothing. It gave it a nice effect.

"Huh?" Her eyes widened with attention and she leaned forward slightly.

"What's Ryou-kun to you?"

My inquiry was met with silence. Ichigo stared at me dumbfounded for a few minutes before her eyebrows wrinkled up into an odd expression that I was not sure of the meaning behind.

"You're asking about my relationship with Shirogane?! He's my boss! And a slavedriver at that! He rarely has anything nice to say, he makes me work my butt off, he tortures me more than any of the other girls, he never gives me a raise, he thinks he's smarter than everyone else, he's always trying to make me look stupid so that he will look smarter, he messes with my head, he--!!"

This was not quite the answer I had been expecting. I held up a hand to slow her down, "Okay, I get you..."

"Good. Shirogane's a jerk. That's what I'm saying," Ichigo summarized, though she added, as an afterthought, "Well, most of the time..."

"He probably teases you because he's fond of you."

"_**HIM?!**_ I really think you need to get your eyes examined. Ryou Shirogane does not in any way feel anything for his 'ultimate weapon'. Other than maybe pride in himself for making me into one. I don't know!," Ichigo scoffed.

"It certainly seemed that way to me," I murmured, resting my chin in my palm, "I was almost sure of it..."

"You're being ridiculous," she stated firmly.

"Suppose on the off chance my hypothesis was correct?" I asked.

Ichigo shook her head furiously, walking over to where I was sitting and slapping both hands down on the table, "You're wrong! A-a-and anyway, I already have someone amazing who loves me!"

"Yes, it does seem that way," I agreed whole-heartedly.

"Exactly!" she confirmed with an exaggerated nod.

A new group of customers had just arrived and it was difficult not to notice them. Their clothes, given the weather outside, seemed largely inappropriate. Perhaps these were a group of cosplayers from Harajuku? That must be it.

"Hey, old hag!" the youngest shouted in Ichigo's direction, "How about some service over here?"

"Just a **minute**!" Ichigo shouted in a strained voice. Her face was wrinkling in anger at being insulted by a youngster. Trying desperately to compose herself, the redhead whirled around to come face-to-face with a member of the party. I noticed with a slight start that his eyes were an unmistakable shade of yellow. He grinned, revealing sharp teeth that resembled fangs and boldy stole a kiss from the waitress before him.

"Hey, Koneko-chan!" he greeted as if they were old friends.

Ichigo went stiff as a rod. Moments later, her screaming filled the cafe.

"KISSHU!!" Ichigo shrieked, her face a complimentary shade of red to match her uniform, "What on Earth?!"

The boy, Kisshu, grinned wider, "I see you liked my surprise."

Ichigo was still struck speechless, but by now the other girls, Akasaka-kun, and Ryou had come into the room to see just what was going on, perhaps to see for themselves if these strange boys who seemed to know them were actually present.

The next one to speak was Bu-Ling. Her eyes glowed happily as she leapt at the youngest boy, breaking into a humongous smile as she hugged him, "Taru-Taru! You came back just like you promised na no da!"

"H-hey, get off of me!" he complained, obviously embarrassed by this sudden public display of affection.

The elder of the three looked slightly annoyed. He bowed his head only slightly before taking a few steps towards the rest of the crowd, "Kisshu. Taruto. We don't have any time to waste."

"What's going on?" that was Ryou. He seemed to understand immediately that something was amiss.

"Pai... I thought you all went back to restore your home planet..." the voice belonged to Retasu. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

Ryou finally glanced over at me, "You and Keiichiro finish things up here. Everyone else, follow me to the basement."

"Oy! Is this a typical earthling greeting?" Kisshu inquired, his grin never ceasing.

"Idiot," Pai stated, exchanging a look with Ryou that the two both seemed to understand. And it was an obvious message: something was wrong.

"Are you really going to make this man wait on the customers?" it was Zakuro who asked the question.

"Unless someone wants to volunteer. I think you should all be there to hear what the aliens have to say, however."

"Right," Zakuro agreed finally, "However, I still think it's a bad idea. Minto, fill me in when I've finished here." With that the actress brushed her violet hair behind her shoulders and followed Akasaka-kun into the kitchen.

"But, Zakuro-oneesama!" the smaller girl protested, but didn't follow.

"Let's go," Ryou said, leading the way for Pai and the others.

So these newcomers were aliens as well? Then why were the Mew Mews not battling with them? This definitely threw a wrench into my plans. Could some of the aliens be allies rather than enemies.

"Take this to the girls at table five," it was Zakuro's cool and commanding voice. She held an expression which meant that all excuses and jokes were going to be ignored.

"Very well," I complied, accepting the tray.

* * *

**-- Ch. 07; Act 02 - A discussion and a plan. (version. Ichigo)**

We all formed a cluster in the middle of the basement, surrounded by Shirogane's army of computers and technological whatnots. Pai stood beside my boss, his face as stern as I remembered. Taruto was squeezing out of Purin's grasp to join them. Kisshu hung off to the side, mostly watching me.

When the silver alien finally spoke, the room went still.

"You're all going to die," Pai explained emotionlessly.

_You're all going to die..._ _Going to die..._

The words hit me like a brick. I took a few steps backwards towards my friends. Kisshu watched me with a look of sympathy.

"Wh-what do you mean?" I asked in bewilderment.

"There you go again, Pai. Being all 'doom and gloom'," Kisshu scolded lightly, but then his expression grew dark, "I'm sure you've seen them by now. The govenor ordered them to unleash the remaining Chimera Anima on Tokyo."

"You mean... that alien I saw?" I inquired.

"Yes," Pai took charge again, "The govenor sent two sisters, Mousse and BonBon, from the Space Exploration Unit to conquer Earth after our 'failure'. She intends to arrive here herself as soon as the divisions back home reach an agreement."

"Could you explain what happened?" Shirogane ventured. The three aliens exchanged glances and finally nodded to one another.

"It started when we were summoned by Govenor White after arriving home with the Mew Aqua," Taruto began hesitantly.

Pai then produced a cube which he tapped a few times. Almost immediately Shirogane's projector screen reacted, bringing up static momentarily before an image appeared. When it focused, I saw a dark hallway which resembled a throne room.

_"What's the meaning of this! Are you trying to tell me that Lord Deep Blue is dead?" a female voice boomed. _

_Kisshu, who was kneeling infront of her, was silent, his eyes fixed on the ground beneath him, "...yes." _

_"But, it's not Kisshu's fault!" Taruto put in quickly. _

_"Taruto!" Pai hissed beside him. _

_"Pai, how could you have let something like this happen? I trusted you!" The figure moved to point an accusing finger at him._

_Pai seemed taken aback on the screen. _

"We came back at a bad time. Our people were still loyal to Deep Blue. Even though someone as slave to his emotions as Kisshu managed to realize Deep Blue's corruption, she was not convinced," Pai explained.

_"We may have returned without Deep Blue, however, we have not returned in failure. We have this." Pai stated firmly on the screen, he then pulled an orb from his belt. The orb appeared to be made of a crystalline structure and glowed softly in his hands. I recognized it as the Mew Aqua Shirogane had given him. _

_"Could that be-?" _

_"That's right," Kisshu confirmed, standing finally to reveal his signature grin, "It's the Mew Aqua. With it, we'll finally be able to restore this planet to what it was before." _

_Taruto was also smiling. _

"We were finally back home. Soon everyone would be able to live happily again. Above ground. In a world free of unbearable temperatures, earthquakes, and snow that never melts," Taruto broke in, his voice seemed uncharacteristically sad.

_"No," the alieness said simply. _

_The trio looked up in surprise. _

_"Whether this planet is restored or not is no concern of mine. The blue planet, Earth, is part of our heritage. We will get it back at any cost." _

_"But... we..." Taruto stammered. _

_"But governor!" _

_"Do not talk back to me. Now get out of my sight," she hissed in annoyance. _

_"You can't do this!" Kisshu shouted with force, "There are people living on the Earth! They're really no different from us. She opened my eyes to that..." _

_The governor snorted, replying in a sarcastic tone, "She? Those miserable beings that defeated you? You're more pathetic than I had ever imagined..." _

_"Governor!" Kisshu shouted angrily, clenching his hands into fists._

"It was one thing to call me pathetic - but it was a completely seperate matter when she insulted Ichigo. I knew then that she'd never listen to anything we had to say," Kisshu narrated.

I stayed quiet.

_"Get out." _

_"I'm not leaving! Deep Blue... and even you! Neither of you ever cared what happened to the rest of us! All you care about is yourselves and conquering Earth! We've survived this long without it! We don't even need that other planet anymore! We have the Mew Aqua! Our planet can be restored, and we can live in peace just like our ancestors did. What we need is a leader who will serve the people!" _

_The governor shot up in a state of fury, "Don't talk back to me! Such insolence will not go unpunished! Unless you care about your family, I suggest that you figure out where your place is... and stay there." _

_"I apologize on his behalf," Pai spoke up, dragging Kisshu and Taruto away with him. He seemed rigid as he walked across the screen like an emotionless soldier. _

_"Let go of me, Pai!" Kisshu demanded, struggling. _

_"Pai..." Taruto muttered quietly, watching as Kisshu continued to twist in Pai's arms. _

_Outside, Pai finally released them, letting both aliens collapse into knee-deep gray snow. Rubbing his shoulder with one arm and saying nothing else, Pai stared blankly into the sky which appeared to be collapsing on itself._

At first I thought it was something to do with the cube and Ryou's computer, but it finally dawned on me that the sky on their planet really was falling apart.

_"Ugh!" Kisshu finally dug himself out of the snow - shivering and cursing. He wrapped his arms around himself and glared furiously at Pai's back. _

_"Well, what can we do? I'm sure the governor's sent another team to Earth already," Taruto asked, knocking snow out of his brown pigtails. _

_Screen-Kisshu muttered under his breath, "They don't care. They never did." _

_"Kisshu. Stop," ordered Pai. _

_"Don't tell me to stop. You didn't do anything..." Kisshu growled rebelliously. _

_"Hurry and release the Mew Aqua over the main village. Governor White's probably already dispatched guards to watch our actions. We need to head to the hangar as soon as possible." _

_"Huh?" _

_Pai looked to his companions, "You were going to do the same, weren't you? It looks like we'll be paying the Earth one more visit after all." _

The image faded for a moment.

"So that's how it is..." Shirogane murmured.

"Then, how did you manage to escape back to Earth?" Retasu asked quietly.

Pai bowed his head and tapped the cube again until a new image appeared. In it, the aliens were dashing through the snow, or would have been if it wasn't hindering their progress.

_"Kisshu! Let's go already!" Taruto called behind him as Kisshu yanked himself up onto the launching platform. _

_"Don't see you doing anything about them." _

_A group of Chimera Anima leapt onto the platform and continued their pursuit. _

_"Well, if you had done a better job of getting rid of them before n-!" Taruto teased. _

_"Stop it! We're almost there!" Pai shouted behind him at the other two. _

_"We're not going to make it. I'll distract them..." Kisshu growled, whipping out his dragon swords and turning to face the monsters. _

_"Kisshu!" Taruto broke from his sprint and hurried over to him. _

_Pai watched them from the corner of his eye as he continued to run. The silver alien teleported inside the ship, this scene appearing in a seperate window on the projector screen, switching on controls left and right. Lights began to blink on, motors hummed, and touchpads appeared in the air infront him. _

_"Baka-tachi..." he muttered as he worked on bringing the spaceship to life. _

_"Let's get them, Taruto!" Kisshu announced to his companion, rushing into the crowd of monsters, slashing on either side of him until they had parted like waves. Bringing his twin blades together, lightning began to charge at their tips like I had seen when he fought the Blue Knight. _

_Taruto was clacking his weapon together. Like Kisshu's weapon, static electricity was beginning to form, and soon he sent it as a ball of lightning towards a bunch of Chimera, "Ho Rai Kyu!" _

_Kisshu let out a yell and sent a ball of lightning rocketing towards another group of Chimera Anima to follow up Taruto's attack. _

_"Heh, not too bad, Kisshu!" Taruto announced as he rubbed his nose with his finger. _

_"No time to celebrate. There's more of them!" _

_Sure enough, a group of at least two dozen more monsters were swarming into the hangar. _

_Taruto backed up slightly, "We'll never be able to take down this many!" _

_"Kisshu!" Taruto called out a warning as one of the Chimera reared and took a swing at him with its sharp talons. _

_"Fuu Rai Sen!" a strong gust of electrically-charged wind erupted from out of nowhere, causing the Chimera to crash into one another and the sides of the hangar as they were pushed backwards. Studying the other window, I noticed that Pai was no longer visible. _

_"Hurry!" Pai commanded. _

_"Right..." _

_The three teleported onto the spaceship. Pai began flicking more controls at once, yelling about how much trouble it was to babysit the other two. As the trio finally settled down into their seats, the vessel sped into outerspace. _

_"Next stop: Planet Earth!" Kisshu announced confidently, "You better be ready for me, Kitten." _

"Oh geez..." I whispered under my breath.

Kisshu leaned over and stroked the top of my head as if I were an actual cat, "I'm glad you left that part, Pai. Aren't you glad I think so much of you, Ichigo?"

I laughed nervously, trying to inch away without being too obvious about it.

Soon I heard Pai clear his throat, "Enough of that."

"So you came to warn us?" asked Shirogane.

"Yes, but that's not all. Govenor White is likely on her way by now. There is an item here on Earth which she intends to use to take control."

"What kind of an item? Is it like the Mew Aqua?" Minto asked.

"It is," Taruto explained, "It's a mineral our ancestors created long ago when they made the Mew Aqua."

"We have insufficient data on the mineral, however, like Mew Aqua could use a person's desires to restore life, we believe the mineral has similar properties. When exposed to other materials, its radiatiation energy will transform them."

"So, where is this magic rock no da?" Purin bounced around, "Bu-Ling can help find it no da!"

"We believe it is somewhere in this region," Pai answered, bringing up a map.

"That looks like Mexico," Retasu observed.

"Yeah," Shirogane confirmed, "And the area you're most interested in is the Yucatan Penninsula. There are pyramids located there."

"So... that's in Central America, right?" I wanted to be sure.

"Yes, Ichigo, congrats. You passed geography," Shirogane teased. I shot him a glare.

"I see," Akasaka-san descended the stairs with Max and Zakuro in tow, "So what we're interested in is the Yucatan Penninsula. I'm familiar with the area."

"Can you show us how to get there?" Kisshu looked to him.

"I can, and I intend to do just that. However, I was going to suggest that all of us assist you."

"Hmm..." Kisshu thought aloud, biting his fingernail.

"It does seem like our goals are similar," Zakuro agreed.

Pai nodded, "We'll discuss this further in the future. For now, I need to research this 'Yucatan'." Pai bowed and vanished.

"See ya!" Taruto waved mockingly and vanished after him.

Kisshu took a few steps towards where his friends had been, turned back towards us and muttered a "thank you" and then brightened. "Later!" In a blink, he too was gone again.

"So, what now?" Zakuro asked Akasaka-san in dry, seemingly bored, tones.

"Now, I believe we should also begin researching Central America before we make plans to go there."

"Yeah, but what about the rest of us?" I added.

"You," Shirogane answered for his friend, pointing a finger at me, "Can get back to waiting on customers. We'll let you know what we find."

"Hey!" I protested, knocking his hand away.

"Just think of it this way," he continued despite my complaints, poking my nose hard and causing me to yelp in response, "You get to go on a field trip for free."

* * *

**-- Ch. 07; Act 03 - A vague request. (version. Max)**

I was not at all surprised to see that Ryou's room was as barren as ever. It was occupied only by a bed and its wooden headboard, and a computer desk and chair. The only other visible objects in the room appeared to be the laptop and printer, an alarm clock, and a framed photograph. Picking up the frame, I studied it for a moment. The little boy in the picture could only be mistaken for Ryou Shirogane himself, though I would have believed otherwise had I found the picture in anyone else's room. The brunette, then, had to be Keiichiro Akasaka.

"Put it down," came the order. Averting my gaze, I caught the moody blond out of the corner of my eye and decided to obey immediately.

"Get out of my room," he muttered, tossing a jacket over the chair and slouching down in it. The chair squeaked a quick protest but fell silent.

"I will, but I wanted a word with you first," I explained, seating myself on his bed, "If that's all right with you."

"Make it quick, then, I have things I need to do," Ryou's words were ice as he glared across the room at me.

"It's about what the aliens said. You were going to send a report to the officials, weren't you, Ryou-kun? Telling them you'll be leaving the country."

Ryou did not bother asking how I knew about his meeting, although I was quite sure he was calculating all of this. I doubted he missed much.

"That was part of the agreement, so I'm obliged to-"

"You see, that's just the thing," I interrupted, folding my arms, "You don't need to tell them where you're going. And I'm afraid that if you do, the girls are going to get hurt."

Ryou's eyes widened momentarily and then narrowed dangerously, "You're blackmailing me?"

"If that's what you want to call it, yes. Akasaka-kun knows all about it."

"And why shouldn't I tell them? Do you mind telling me that?" His gaze was vicious.

"Because I'm going with you. There's no need to tell them."

"Ah, so you're working for the government?" he grumbled, wheeling back around in his chair and bringing out a sheet of paper rebelliously.

"I'm sure you'd like to think so, but the answer is not 'yes'. You see, Ryou-kun, I'm something of an entrepreneur... I work for myself. If my desires happen to match up with someone else's, then I may do them a favor, but it's not for them. It's for me. Do you understand this?"

"Why don't you just tell me what you want? It won't change the fact that I don't trust you. Nothing will change that, or that I despise you with every fiber of my being," he retorted.

I clucked my tongue against my teeth briefly, "Can't."

"Your loss," he sighed cooly, bringing out a pen and beginning to write what I could only assume was a letter to Takahashi.

Rising and crossing the room, I stopped infront of him. He looked rather indignant and his eyes held a controlled sort of anger, knowing the consequences of a wrong move on his part.

"Get out of my room. Now. You-!"

"**Ryou**..." I began in a soft voice, "Don't tell them we're going to Central America."

The blond glared, but I saw the pen in his hand waver. His jaw was taut.

With a sigh, I added, "Please."

Ryou's eyes flicked over to the window and I saw him place the pen back down.

"See you in the morning," I finished cheerfully as I headed from the room, certain that he would not mail the unfinished letter. I heard him cursing my back as the door shut behind me.


	9. 08: How to make something out of nothing

_**Author's Note:** Wow, I was really surprised at the number of people who have expressed that they find Max interesting. Anyway, I wanted to respond to one of these reviews, from **Darkstar Unic** which reads: "Your story has intrigued me very much. Usually I'm not the kind that likes new characters in a fanfiction, but Max just fits." _

_I will tell you the truth: I'm not either. I really did not want to make up new characters for this story because I personally like reading about the official characters and nobody else. However, to work with the aliens, it seemed like making more of them was neccessary. Even Takahashi and Seto were placed in the story because there were roles that needed to be filled based on the plot that was developing in my head. And so, while I do give special attention to Max, I also made him appear because the plot just wouldn't work without him. It's also an area I feel has been largely unchartered - a random stranger (and adult rather than a potential Mew) discovering the secrets of the Mew Project and what he decides to do with this knowledge. And also, to another of my reader's. You don't have to post anonymously with question marks. I don't bite. :D_

* * *

**TOMORROW'S SOLACE**

**-- Ch. 08; Act 01 - Upcoming Deadline. (version. Ichigo)**

**"Ribbon Loveberry Check!"**

**"Ribbon Strawberry Check!"** I echoed. The Chimera Anima flashed and a frightened flock of doves took to the air, leaving behind a scattered group of aliens that Masha and Ucha hurried to devour.

Berii rushed over to me, her face a smile, "We did it, Ichigo!"

"Y-yeah," I replied, laughing. I was nervous, and she seemed to be able to tell.

"Ichigo?" she questioned.

Returning to normal I flopped down on the grass, "I'm sorry. It's just... this whole thing is kind of scary. I mean, last time it was scary too, but this... I'm not sure."

Berii settled down next to me, "Is it because Aoyama-kun is no longer the Blue Knight?"

I smiled sadly and shook my head, "It's just... different, that's all."

"I'm afraid I don't understand," she admitted, fingering the head of a dandelion flower and causing some of the seeds to parachute away into the breeze, "I mean, this is all different to me because until a few months ago I had never seen an alien before. Sure, there were Chimera Anima, but, I know that's not what you mean."

"You might be right. Maybe I relied on the Blue Knight too much without realizing it. He was always there when I was in danger and now... Now I worry about Masaya because I know he wants to protect me, but..."

Berii nodded her understanding, wrapping her arms around her knees and looking off into the sky, "But now he can't and you're afraid he might get hurt."

We were silent for a while, a silence filled with birdsong in the distance and the whir of traffic.

"He loves you, though," she said firmly, looking back over at me. "You two are one of the most inspiring couples I know. It'll all work out."

I giggled then, yanking myself up in one quick movement, "Yeah, I know he does. But see, the other day when I told him about Kisshu and the others, he insisted on tagging along. I'm scared he's going to get hurt if things get dangerous."

"It'll be fine, I'm sure of it! Although, maybe you could talk Tasuku into staying behind...?"

"Hey, Berii!" the voice belonged to none other than Tasuku Meguro who was waving his arms furiously a few yards off, "What are you saying about me while I'm not around?"

"It's nothing!" she shouted back, brushing her hair from her face as she rose to her feet and dusted the grass clippings off her dress.

"Hey, c'mon, you can tell me, Berii! I won't get upset! That's just not me, yanno?"

"I said it was nothing!" she responded again.

"Ooh..." she grumbled, color coming to her cheeks as she buried her fingers in the folds of her apron, "...that Tasuku."

I smiled despite her frustration, "Hey, Berii, it'll all work out, right?"

The two of us laughed, hoping our worries would escape with the laughter. Mine didn't.

* * *

**-- Ch. 08; Act 02 - How to make something out of nothing. (version. Ryou)**

_Why? Why did he have to go too?_

These thoughts played over and over in my mind as I handled the dishes a bit too roughly for Keiichiro's liking.

"Ryou, would you like me to finish those instead?" my guardian inquired, trying to be as gentle as possible, but I could tell he was worried for the china.

"I can handle it," I insisted as I dried another plate with the dishcloth, stacking it with others like it on the countertop.

I just couldn't figure that guy out. I knew already that he had come across the Mew Project notes in the study room, and he had admitted to blackmailing Keiichiro. He had also blackmailed Ichigo and myself. What I didn't understand was why he hadn't done anything. What was he waiting for? Didn't he have us right where he wanted us?

My hands slowed as my theories started to run out. None of them seemed likely. Maybe he really was working for the government. Or perhaps, like he had said, he was giving the government or some other agency limited information for his own benefit. But what **was** that benefit?

"Penny for your thoughts, Ryou-kun?" It was him of course. I merely glared at him out of the corner of my eye and returned to scrubbing the saucer I was working on even more forcefully than before.

Seeing as he was not about to get an answer from me, Max sighed and turned to Keiichiro, "So, Akasaka-kun, how's research going?"

"Not quite the way I would have hoped, but we're making progress," Keiichiro replied cheerfully. I could feel his eyes wandering in my direction, "Ryou's the one who code-named the substance 'Mew Ore'. He also managed to hack one of the United States' satellites in order to get a rough idea of where this substance might be found within the Yucatan. We're thinking somewhere in the area near Chichen Itza."

I gaped at him. How could Keiichiro be so free with information?! But then, I knew. The cocky grin Max had cast in my direction was almost certain proof that this was what he had weasled out of Keiichiro. He wanted additional information on our current tasks, and whatever card he had played was working all too well on my friend.

"Why don't you join in the conversation?" Max suggested, "I'm sure you know more about this sort of thing than either of us do."

"No thanks. I don't want to talk to you," I countered, returning the dishes to their proper homes in the kitchen cupboards and stalking away and up to my room.

I had gotten halfway up the spiral staircase when I heard footsteps behind me. Digging my nails into the railing as I kept walking, I could feel frustration welling up, threatening to explode inside of me.

When a hand grasped at my wrist, I spun with such fury that the force of my arm being wrenched away caused him to stumble backwards down three of the steps before he gripped the railing and pulled himself back up.

Keiichiro stared at me as if I had just smacked him across the face, "Ryou! What's gotten into you?" His face was a mixture of confusion and pain. It was difficult to look at him, as though I had somehow betrayed the silent bond of trust between us.

I let out a short breath, backing away from him and up another step, "What do you think is wrong with me? It's that guy over there. Honestly, if he was blackmailing you all along, why didn't you tell me?"

"Ryou, what are you talking about? Max-san isn't blackmailing me," Keiichiro said, the pain in his expression subsiding and being replaced ounce for ounce with more confusion.

"You expect me to believe that? He's already proven he can't be trusted! He got Ichigo from the start, he's been snooping through the library, and he's even threatened to hurt the girls. What are we letting him hang around for anyway? If this has to do with me, I can fend for myself. I'm not a kid anymore! Don't let him use me to get information out of you!"

"Ryou, Max-san is our guest. I don't believe he would hurt the girls. You should be a little more accepting," Keiichiro sighed.

"More accepting? You're TOO accepting! Why do you trust him?"

Keiichiro blinked at me in silence but said nothing.

"Keiichiro! Why do you trust him?" I pressed.

Keiichiro sighed again, resting his hand on my shoulder and giving it a light squeeze, "Let's say... he reminds me of someone I know. So, I don't think he's a bad person."

"Keiichir-!!"

"And," he continued, interrupting me, "I might know who he's giving information to. Therefore, I am quite sure that Max-san won't betray us. If I had major doubts, I would not be so open with him. If I turn out to be wrong in the end, then perhaps I am a kindhearted fool, but I think you should reserve your judgment until the Mew Ore is safely in our hands and these other aliens are no longer a threat."

I groaned, staring back at him with a look of defeat, "It seems like too much of a gamble to me."

Keiichiro smiled weakly at that, clapping my shoulder gently before letting it go completely, "You've taken far greater risks in your lifetime than I have, Ryou."

I raised an eyebrow, "So?"

I did not need to be reminded of how reckless I was.

"So, I hope you'll be kind enough to bail me out like I have bailed you out in the past," Keiichiro answered with a smile before starting back down the steps.

* * *

**-- Ch. 08; Act 03 - Another Meeting and a Lesson in Division. (version. Ichigo)**

_Summer! It was finally summer!_

After waving an enthusiastic goodbye to Miwa and Moe and starting down the sidewalk towards the park, that's when it hit me. _What summer?_ There was a job to do, and if the determined expression on Shirogane's face as he, Akasaka-san, and Pai sat around the blond's laptop meant anything, it was going to be a **BIG** job. I sighed, but it came out as more of a whine than anything. There was nothing wrong with saving the human race, but even superheroes deserve a vacation sometime. Right?

"Hey, Ichigo, are you okay? You seem pretty disappointed."

I flicked my weary eyes upwards to gaze upon Masaya's gentle, smiling face and felt like crying.

"Masaya! No... I just..." I fretted, my hands balling themselves into fists.

"Ichigo?" he rested an arm on my shoulder as I grew tense.

"I want a vacation!" I practically wailed, "I've been working my butt off at the cafe, fighting aliens, and studying as hard as I can so I can pass the demon teacher's class and now I have to zip off to Mexico and fight more aliens and do more work and then maybe... MAYBE I'll have time left over to do my summer homework!"

Masaya laughed nervously but his voice was consoling, "It'll be fine, Ichigo. And don't worry. I can help you study when we have free time."

This did not, however, mean that my wonderful boyfriend would do my homework for me. I sighed my defeat.

"Okay. Thanks, Masaya."

* * *

The basement was as dark and dusty as ever. I was ushered downstairs by Minto just as soon as I opened the doors of the pink castle to let the two of us inside. Shirogane was seated importantly at the front of the room with Pai and Akasaka-san to either side of him and Kisshu standing off to the side. The green-headed alien offered me a lop-sided grin as I entered the dim room which I returned with a great deal less enthusiasm. At least someone was having fun. Zakuro-san, Berii, Tasuku, Purin, Taruto, and Retasu crowded to one side. Minto brought up the rear. Max was off in his own corner, looking a bit intrigued from all I could tell.

"We've called you all down here to go over the game plan," Shirogane stated by way of explanation.

_'The least he could do is say "hello",'_ I thought to myself with some irritation.

"Ryou, Pai-san, and I have been looking further into the situation during this past week," Akasaka-san added gently.

"And?" Zakuro-san inquired, folding her arms infront of her, "What have you all discovered?"

"There's definitely a signal coming from the area near Chichen Itza in the Yucatan Penninsula," Shirogane stated, "It's there. We just have to uncover it."

"Is this going to involve more digging?" Minto questioned disdainfully.

Akasaka-san smiled weakly, "We don't know, Minto-san, but it's a possibility."

"There's a 75.6 percent chance that the Mew Ore is located within a created structure. It is unlikely that our ancestors would have simply buried it. They would want for the mineral to be accessable in case a crisis arose. Unlike the Mew Aqua that was broken and scattered, we believe the Mew Ore to be in one piece," Pai droned.

I was hopeful. "So we don't have to dig, right?" I proded, clasping my hands together.

"Wrong. We can't know for sure. Chances are any ruins from that long ago have sunken into the ground." Well, that response was quick.

I made a face. Shirogane was always making us work. I had hoped I'd never have to dig again after the final Mew Aqua was discovered. I could still remember the blisters from before and how it had taken weeks for them to disappear completely.

"Pai-san, I-I have a question!" Retasu piped up nervously, only daring to raise her arm into the air about halfway.

Pai turned his gaze on her, seeming to hesitate momentarily, "What is it?"

"What do you intend to do... about your governor and the other two people should we be forced to face them?"

"We'll fight them."

"B-but..." Retasu was a pacifist. The idea of fighting didn't sit very well with her. She preferred solving problems by talking them over.

"What choice do we have?" Kisshu spoke up from his part of the basement, "They want to kill us, and they came here to destroy you. We tried talking to her. She didn't want to listen."

"Perhaps the other two would be more willing to listen," she suggested.

"I doubt it," Pai answered.

Taruto shifted uneasily, "I know what you mean. I don't want to fight anyone either, but, if we don't, we won't just lose the Mew Ore, but you guys might lose your planet."

"They're right," Zakuro-san added blandly, "We have to look at the big picture here."

"Um, suppose they attack Tokyo while we're gone?" It was Berii. She looked worried at the thought.

Shirogane and Akasaka-san exchanged glances.

"The possibility exists," Pai acknowledged.

"Perhaps it would be best if we split up into groups," Masaya suggested beside me.

Shirogane's aquamarine eyes fell on him. He nodded slowly, "Aoyama might be right. Some of us should stay here just in case. It would also be a good idea to have backup rather than present all of our forces at once."

"I suppose that just leaves the question of who's going and who's staying behind," said Zakuro.

"Kisshu and I will be going. Taruto, you should stay behind. The others will need a way to transport to the Yucatan quickly in case trouble arises," Pai decided.

"Hey! Why do I have to stay behind?!" Taruto complained.

"Because you're a kid," Kisshu teased, "This is an adult's job."

"I suppose that means you'll be staying behind as well," Minto joked.

"Cheer up, Taru-Taru! Bu-Ling will stay behind too, na no da! Friends have to stick together no da!" she proved her point by bounding over to the alien and glomping him tightly.

"If it's an adult's job, I suppose I'll be going on this journey as well," Max spoke decisively. It was the first time he contributed anything since we entered the basement.

Zakuro-san cast an untrusting stare in his direction, "I'll go as well."

"I'm going wherever oneesama goes!" Minto declared quickly, latching onto the older girl's arm.

"I can stay behind," Berii offered. She glanced at Tasuku worriedly. I could tell that she was concerned not only for him, but for Tokyo as well, considering so far only Purin and Taruto were staying behind. I wondered if maybe I should stay behind as well.

"Make that two," Tasuku smiled, forming a peace sign with his fingers.

"I'll..." I was at a loss. I didn't know what to do. Should I stay and defend Tokyo? Should I go and help the others find the Mew Ore?

"Ichigo and Retasu will be going," Shirogane decided for me. I shot him a look. Retasu merely flushed and nodded her head submissively.

"I'll go with Ichigo, if that's okay..." Masaya said, though Shirogane was already nodding automatically. He probably knew that he could not sway Masaya's mind.

"One of us should stay behind," Shirogane said to Akasaka-san.

"I agree," Akasaka-san answered promptly.

For a moment it seemed like Akasaka-san had taken his eyes off Shirogane and was instead looking at me. At the time I failed to make any connection with this gesture.

"Ryou will go. I will stay here and take charge of the computer systems. If there is any trouble, we are to let each other know so that one team may come to the other's assistance. I will go ahead and install the programs in Masha and Ucha so they can be used as a form of long distance communication and data exchange."

Akasaka-san nodded politely after he had said this and returned to work at one of the monitors.

Shirogane looked vaguely surprised at this decision, but was all doom-and-gloom again soon after.

"It's clear, right? Berii, Tasuku, Taruto, Purin, and Keiichiro will remain here in Tokyo in case the aliens reappear here in an attempt to stall or distract us. The rest of you will be coming with me," Shirogane summarized.

There were various nods and quiet chatter. I had a feeling that with Shirogane tagging along, this field trip was going to be even more work than I had expected and even less like a vacation. Then again, this was serious. Did I really expect a vacation in the first place? I just hoped he'd let us stop for breaks when we got tired or needed to use the bathroom.

"I wanted to go hunt for the magic rock, no da, but it can't be helped no da," Purin said quietly.

"Sorry about that," Shirogane murmured, "Well, unless there are any other complaints, I suggest you girls rest up."

Taruto hopped down from his place on one of the desks, snubbing his nose and heading for the stairs, "I'm hungry."

Purin followed Taruto gingerly, "Bu-Ling will make Taru-Taru something really yummy to eat, na no da!"

"I-I can take care of it myself!" he protested.

"Don't be silly! Since we're friends, we have to help each other out, na no da!" she insisted, grabbing his arm.

Taruto made some grumbling noises before they both disappeared upstairs.

* * *

**-- Ch. 08; Act 04 - Freedom and Failure. (version. Max)**

There wasn't much resting up to do, to be honest. Indeed I had not been doing much of anything, nor did I have anything to pack - something I very much regretted.

Teleportation seemed so complex a subject, yet it took Kisshu and Pai no more than a wave of their hands and our group was standing on rocky ground, interrupted by patches of grass and expanses of trees.

"Watch out for sinkholes," Ryou recited, finding a place beside Pai and taking the lead. To where... I was not entirely sure.

After a few hours of walking and no close encounters with anything dangerous, our field trip took on a more monotonous tone. By this time the sun was towering right over us in the sky and was not going to let us forget that we were now considerably closer to the equator.

"It's so hot," Ichigo complained, making a face and also a vain attempt to create a sufficient breeze with the hand she was waving infront of her nose.

"You're such a baby. You'll want someone to carry you next," Ryou commented as soon as she finished.

"I'm not a baby, Shirogane! Masaya, tell him I'm not a baby!"

Aoyama smiled feebily, "Let's just relax. Fighting isn't going to get us anywhere."

"I concur," Minto agreed, although she had little room for complaints as she had brought along a handheld fan and a number of other fancy objects that seemed like they would prove to be useless in this environment, "So, what do we need to know about this place besides the weather's a little uncomfortable?"

Ryou groaned, casting Retasu, who was walking beside him, something of a pleading look.

"I've heard that scientists believe an asteroid crashed here 65 million years ago," she offered.

"Actually..." Kisshu started, rubbing his cheek, "according to our planet's history, a team of explorers crash-landed somewhere around here a long time ago. Maybe it's the same thing."

"That was only two thousand years ago," Pai corrected him blandly, "The records say that another group journied to the same location to search for the crew, but they miscalculated and arrived centuries later. The second group succeeded in establishing a settlement here and were able to make contact with a foreign race."

"Hmm..." Ryou muttered, "They say that 'Yucatan' means 'place of richness', but there's a popular myth that when the Spanish showed up, the guys who lived here said 'we don't understand your words'."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kisshu tilted his head.

"It means it's possible that the language barrier wasn't between the Spanish and the indigenous people who lived here, but it might have been between humans and your ancestors," he clarified.

"Hey, Pai. The second group who came here brought the Mew Ore with them, right?" Kisshu glanced over at Pai.

"To be sure. Some of our ancestors chose to remain on Earth, ignoring the plans to reclaim it in the future. They worked alongside the humans, culturing creatures and plants from our planet - what became the Chimera. When their civilization failed, many of the Chimera fled north into the desert or south into the rainforests, or even into the oceans. There are reports that other Chimera were found in fossils buried in local sites that had been abandoned. We suppose they were left by the first exploration team. In any case, that is where your 'Nessie' and 'Bigfoot' legends originated from. That is also where Deep Blue's ancestors arose from."

Aoyama looked up abruptly, "You mean...?"

"Though it was against our laws to do so, our ancestors procreated with the humans. That is why you - a human carrying alien blood within you - exist."

"So then, there are others like Aoyama?" Ryou questioned, his voice serious.

"It is likely that at least 9.8 percent of Earth's population..." Pai started.

"...has alien blood," Ryou finished with a sigh, his eyebrows knit, "In other words, your governor would have little problem finding a suitable host."

"Exactly. That is why we're going to find the Mew Ore," Pai concluded.

"This is making my head hurt..." Ichigo sighed, "Is it really neccessary for us to remember all of this stuff you're talking about now? I'll be lucky if I can remember all the details for my homework assignments. Double-spaced, single-spaced... font size..."

"Ichigo, this may be important" Zakuro advised, although she seemed bored herself.

Ichigo bobbed her head in defeat. "So, anything besides aliens and sinkholes we need to worry about?" she tried again.

I laughed lightly, "There's always wild animals, disease, not to mention the weather here can change without warning. Large storms are frequent."

Ichigo whimpered, "Shirogane, is this true?"

"Probably."

Ichigo let out another loud sigh.

"Hey, don't worry so much, kitty cat, I won't let anything bad happen to you!" Kisshu offered enthusiastically.

"You can stop calling me 'kitty cat'!" she complained.

"And I," I heard Aoyama say quietly, "I'll protect you."

Ichigo seemed considerably more satisfied with this.

"Honestly, Ryou, how much further do you expect us to walk today? I don't see any life in sight," Minto remarked.

"Until we get there," he replied vaguely, although he looked tired himself. And worried.

"Suppose it gets dark first?" she continued impatiently.

"Then we'll make camp."

"Camp?" Ichigo's face fell again.

"Well, this is a vacation, isn't it? Besides, we can't have Kisshu and Pai popping us back and forth all the time when the other aliens might already know where the Mew Ore is located."

"I'd rather sleep in a hotel," Minto scoffed.

Ryou shook his head, "It's a long story, but we can't sleep in a hotel."

"Why not?" Zakuro looked suspicious.

Ryou shifted his gaze over to me. He was void of emotion, as usual, although I was surprised at what he said next. "I'll explain everything in due time" was all he said in reply.

He was a genius. I never questioned that, and yet, he had given in to my demands so easily. I was almost disappointed that he hadn't tried to fight back just a little more than he did.

The hours passed by at a snail's pace. Finally, when the girls refused to walk any further, we made camp for the night in an open area sheltered on one side by a cliff wall. Ryou built a fire to serve as protection from "wild animals" at the other end. The girl's unrolled blankets and sleeping bags and settled into their own little discussion circle. I caught bits and pieces of conversation about Ryou being too demanding, worries about bugs, concerns about sink holes, why men were so confusing, and the like. Pai and Kisshu were sprawled out on a ledge about six feet above our camp, staring at the night sky. Ryou was off with Aoyama, contacting Akasaka-kun via Masha.

Having no real place, I lowered myself down onto the ground a few feet away where there was a large patch of grass that could suffice as a tolerable bed cushion and glanced across the landscape. My thoughts and memories teased me, but all in all, it was good to be outdoors. I felt less confined in more ways than one, and saw this as a good omen.

Eventually my head slumped forward and I was overtaken by restless sleep.

_'You liar!' the voice rang in my head, 'You liar! YOU LIAR! **YOU LIAR!**' _

_'But, I couldn't just-!' came my feeble protest. It was the truth. I was a liar, wasn't I? How had things turned out this way? And **why** had they turned out this way? _

_'Shut up, I hate you! Liar! LIAR! **LIAR!**' _

_In my dream I started backing away. Backing away from the person making these accusations. Accusations that were true. I was guilty. I was a liar, and if it were not for my own greed, I'd be completely useless to anyone. _

_Around me the girls appeared in bright dresses, gathering hands and forming a ring to cage me in. They began moving clockwise around me; dancing, chanting, 'Liar, liar, pants on fire! Liar, liar, burn in fire!' _

_'Everyone, I can explain! Really! Please listen to me just this once,' I pleaded. _

_'The jury finds you guilty! So shut up and die!' Ryou snapped, raising a torch in the air which illuminated the area and cast jagged shadows that rose off the ground and wrapped around my legs. _

_'No! Stop!' another voice protested. It was far away, a voice painfully familiar to me. That voice would never reach me in time. Ryou had already dropped the torch. The ground around me was ablaze now, and I could feel my hopes dying. The girls had all scattered into the night, their chants echoing in the air. _

_I heard Ryou laughing from beyond the fire, 'Looks like I get the last word, doesn't it Max? Nobody threatens me and gets away with it.' _

_'Ryou!' I shouted. I was too late. I just knew it. I was... Too. Late._

"Ryou!" I yelled, bolting upright in my sleeping bag. The campfire had died down to an eerie glow and as my eyes adjusted, I could make out the figures of the girls, still sleeping soundly. A closer inspection confirmed my fears. Everyone was present. Everyone, that is, except for Ryou Shirogane.


	10. 09: How to save a life

**TOMORROW'S SOLACE**

**-- Ch. 09; Act 01 - Resonance. (version. Ryou)**

I could feel it.

It was calling me.

I had to search for it.

It must have been after midnight. The others were fast asleep by now, and when I opened my eyes I could see that the campfire had died down considerably. Pulling myself to my feet, I hauled another log over to the fire and rolled it in. Sparks flew up like startled fireflies, and by adding some more dried twigs and leaves to the mix, the campfire burned brightly once again. We definitely didn't need the heat, but I figured it'd keep large predators away. Looking around, there seemed to be no immediate threat. But it was still out there.

Beckoning.

Urging my feet forward.

Going against my better judgment, I slung a canteen of water over my shoulder, hoisted up a pack of tools and a flashlight, and set off after it, reminding myself briefly of how I had snuck outside with a telescope to see the stars better when I was little. What was this feeling? Could it be the Mew Ore? It was possible, I supposed. I did possess the DNA of a Red Data Animal. Ichigo and the others had been attracted to Mew Aqua by their strong feelings. Maybe I could react to Mew Ore in the same way? But why hadn't anyone else reacted to it? I was the only person awake It was also true that the Mew Aqua had never reacted to me at all, so I was having my doubts. Of course, I knew that going off alone was dangerous, but I had every intention of turning back when (and if) things got tough. Besides, I had a communications device with me. If there was trouble, I could call for help. Simple.

I never turned back towards camp that night.

It was just me. Alone with myself.

I had probably walked along for a couple of miles when the tugging began to vanish. I stopped where I was, glancing around for anything that looked remotely unique in the landscape that always looked the same. There was nothing new.

Sighing, I settled down on the ground. What had I been thinking of when I had first felt it? Maybe if I rekindled those feelings, the signal would also grow in strength. Hadn't I been dreaming?

Shutting my eyes briefly, I tried meditating. There were only two things I could think of that it could be: my childhood or Ichigo Momomiya. I tried to bring up a picture of the redhead's face in my mind which proved easy enough. Her eyes were large and bright with anger, her brows furrowed, her lips set in her characteristic pout. She was so, so...

Snapping out of it, I realized that the feeling had not returned. Thinking of Ichigo was not having any effect.

"It would have to be something more complicated..." I muttered to myself, wiping my bangs out of my face. The humidity had plastered them to my skin.

Next I conjured up an image of myself. I was six years old then, perched in the fork of a maple tree in our expansive yard, eating a shiny red apple and keeping my eyes on the opening in the hedge to watch for Papa's car coming down the driveway.

_He was already late. I knew this perfectly well, even for being little more than an energetic weed. _

_"Ryou!" It was my mother's voice. Glancing down, I saw the familiar blond woman looking up at me in turn, her bright blue eyes shimmering, perhaps with some sort of maternal delight at finding her child doing something as adventurous as climbing trees. _

_"Yeah, what is it?" I asked. _

_"Shouldn't you be taking a nap about now?" she inquired back, smiling. _

_"Mama, I'm six! I'm too old for naps!" I protested. _

_"That wasn't the case when I was six," she replied. She laughed airily._

_"W-well... Keiichiro's coming back with Papa soon, so... I thought I might look for them." _

_"Because you had nothing better to do, eh? Like taking a nap?" she ventured, her smile spreading slightly. As kind as she was, like my father, she still had a childish spark in her. She could be both stubborn and sneaky. Not only did it make them the worst possible people for me to have as enemies, it also meant I could talk to them about anything, and somehow they would understand. Because of this, I considered them my most favorite people instead._

_"Yeah, exactly! Gee yer smart!" I laughed weakly. I was... I was busted. _

_She made the motion. The silent finger fishing reel. It meant: Get down now and I won't scold you. Honestly, she never did, because I always caved in the end. _

_I jumped down, landing beside her with my feet together. _

_"Let's wait for them together," she offered, running her thin fingers through my hair. _

_"Okay!" At that moment, a car turned down the driveway--_

At that moment, a sharp ringing sounded in my ears. I groaned and gripped my head. The signal had returned full force, this time painfully strong. I rose carefully to my feet, feeling disoriented. Not far ahead, I noticed a flash of light. This resonance had to be it. It had to be the Mew Ore.

I followed it.

* * *

**-- Ch. 09; Act 02 - Awakening the troops. (version. Max)**

"Ryou's missing!" I shouted, finally managing to urge the blue "ojousama" Mew Mew awake.

"So? Maybe he went for a walk. You know how he is," Minto yawned daintily, rising to a sitting position and stretching impressively.

"Suppose he's in trouble?" I countered.

Minto must have noted the look of concern on my face, "My, you worry about him like a clingy girlfriend. Are you sure you're not in love with him, Max-san?"

"Wh-what?! In love w--? No, of course not. Ryou's just a boy, and besides, I have a wife, Minto-chan," I stuttered, embarassed by the very idea.

"Just checking," she said as she jabbed Ichigo (whom my earlier attempts had failed on) in the stomach, "Wake up, sleeping beauty. We have a boss to go rescue."

"Nya!" Ichigo shrieked, leaping to her feet, "Ow-nya! That hurt, Minto!"

"Max-san, what's going on?" Ichigo's screams had already alerted the others who were gathering around us.

I sighed in exasperation, "Ryou's missing. He could be in danger."

"Why do you think that? Shirogane's pretty capable of taking care of himself," Zakuro reasoned.

"I just have this feeling..." I tried to explain. I had no proof that he was in danger. I also had no proof that he had ventured further than a few yards away. Still, something made me feel agitated, so that I was nearly certain he hadn't simply stepped outside of camp momentarily.

"He may have a point," Pai spoke up, floating down to land near us, "I just got a level four Mew Ore reading, and it's very close."

"There's not a moment to lose," Retasu said, "If Shirogane-san went to look for it alone, then he might get attacked."

"Honestly, I thought he was smarter than that," said Minto, already gathering a few essentials together for the trip which she shoved at a half-awake Ichigo for her to pack into a bag.

I had to admit I was even more worried now. Surely Ryou realized the dangers of wandering around in this land by himself, but with the presense of the Mew Ore, a whole new level of dangers could find their way to him. If he died, my plan was ruined.

"Kisshu, Pai," I acknowledged them, scratching my chin, "Can you teleport us to the location of the reaction? I'm worried about wandering too far in the dark. We could easily fall into a sink hole."

The green alien grinned, "Leave it to us. This should be a piece of cake."

"I'll contact Akasaka-san via Masha. He should probably know about this, don't you think?" It was Aoyama speaking.

"Yes, please do. There's not a moment to lose."

* * *

**-- Ch. 09; Act 03 - Falling. (version. Ryou)**

"It's got to be around here somewhere!" I told myself, glancing around. My steps were slowing, the sound in my head and the tugging in my body were so overwhelming, "But where...?"

Just walking was growing difficult. Was it possible to suffocate from a sound ringing in your ears?

"Ugh. Da--!" My curses were interrupted as the ground beneath me gave way. It was like being sucked into a vaccuum; around me everything went black and the breath was knocked out of me. I don't know how long I fell, but contact with the ground brought me back again. Dust fluttered around me, making me sneeze repeatedly for a few moments. In its defense, the silt-like earth I had landed on had cushioned my fall, even if I was now halfway buried in it. Opening my eyes, I was surprised to find that I could actually see. Around me blue lights glowed in scones on the walls, illuminating what looked like a foreign corridor.

_Is this the alien ruins...?_ Amazed that I could still move, I groped for a hold in the wall and yanked myself up again.

Remembering my pack with my communications device, I dug around in the dust for it, but produced nothing. I supposed the only thing I could do now was to continue forward and search for either the Mew Ore or the way out.

The ruins were literally a labyrinth. Passageway after passageway led me backwards, forwards, and inevitably to dead ins, that is, until the feeling again died altogether.

This was getting incredibly frustrating. Not only was I alone and tired, but it looked as if I could be wandering around for days without anything but a single canteen of water, rope, and a miniature tool set.

As I rounded another bend in the path, it became clear. The resonance had stopped simply because I no longer needed to be called. Carved into the middle of the chamber was a stone pedestal etched with depictions of creatures I had never seen in my life. Drawing closer, I discovered that the detailed animal carvings must be of early Chimera Anima. Sitting in the cavity dug into the pedestal was a large blood red rock.

"Is that it?" my voice was hoarse from the dust, but now was hardly the time to stop for a drink of water. I moved closer to the artifact. The crystal looked polished, carved neatly into perfectly flat sides to give it an artificial appearance. It was not natural, it had been molded by the hands of a craftsman.

How heavy was it? Briefly my mind wandered back to the tales of Aladdin and I began to think perhaps lifting it was going to set off some kind of a trap. _I should wait for the others to come for me..._ But if they didn't, the aliens could find me first and I'd be no match for them. It was best to take the Mew Ore with me, maybe then I could at least fool them into believing I had not yet discovered its wherabouts.

Gritting my teeth, I placed first my right hand on the stone. When there was no reaction, I placed my left hand on it and attempted to lift the item from the pedestal.

It wasn't terribly heavy, but in about twenty seconds the terrifying realization set in. If I could tap into its power, I could have anything I wanted. Well, not _anything_... but something reasonable. My curiosity was piqued. Just how much power had the aliens stored in this rock? Looking down at it, it seemed as though the crystal was growing warmer in my hold.

_It might even be able to... _

_But that would require an equal sacrifice. _

_A sacrifice? _

_But if I disappeared, what would they...? What would any of them...? _

_Yet, what I really want is..._

In my hands the Mew Ore flashed brightly, suddenly alighting with a fire that would not be controlled. The force erupting from the stone stung down to the very bone.

_It hurts! Please stop already! _

_But I want... I want to see them!_

* * *

**-- Ch. 09; Act 04 - How to save a life. (version. Max)**

"Up there! He's up there!" Ichigo shouted, pointing the way. Rushing down an ancient alien stairway, Kisshu and Pai had done their jobs well. Within moments we had found the boy who had gone missing.

"It looks like he's all right," Aoyama confirmed.

"Good thing, too," Minto added.

Zakuro was out of breath as she spoke, "Minto, enough. Let's just hurry out of here before something happens."

But something already had. Whatever the teenager was holding suddenly erupted in his hands. The girls' screams echoed through the hallway as, seconds later, an awful ringing noise drowned everything else out.

"Shirogane-san!" Retasu shrieked in horror.

"Ryou!" Minto cried.

"We have to help him!" Ichigo ordered, bounding ahead of the group.

Noting his girlfriend's actions, Aoyama was the first to follow suit, "Ichigo, be careful!"

"I know!"

"Stop! The ceiling is collapsing! If we remain in here, our chance of survival is close to one percent!" Pai's warning invaded my hearing. It must have been the noise. I had heard tales before where a certain frequency could cause an entire cable bridge to vibrate and then collapse as if it were nothing but a child's plaything.

"Wait a minute Ichigo!" Kisshu yelled, racing after them.

"Minto-chan, Zakuro-san! Can you do anything about the ceiling if you transform?" I shouted to them urgently.

"I really don't know about that one!" Minto shouted back.

"I have my doubts as well, but we have to try!" Zakuro's strong gaze fell on her companion.

"Okay, Oneesama!"

**"Mew Mew Mint!"**

**"Mew Mew Zakuro!"**

The two of them began to glow. Pai was giving instructions to Kisshu to hurry and drag the other two back in case the whole area were to fall. I wondered fleetingly if they could teleport us quickly enough. On the otherhand, Ryou was...

**"METAMORPHOSIS!"**

I hurried after the other alien. When we reached him, Ryou was leaning awkwardly over a pedestal, his arms wrapped loosely around the shivering stone causing so much destruction. It must be the Mew Ore.

"Shirogane!" Aoyama reached him first, tugging him up into an awkward standing position and dragging him a few paces from the Mew Ore, the blond's shoes scuffing against the floor as he did. "Shirogane, can you hear us? Please respond!"

His limbs were slack, just tight enough to keep him standing without falling over again. His posture was terrible and didn't seem capable of holding him.

"Ryou!" A vain attempt to rouse him from his current state of shock.

The boy's eyes held a dead look, his face completely devoid of any comprehension or emotion. Save maybe one... despair. He didn't respond even as I shook his shoulders.

"Ryou!" I tried again desperately.

"Shirogane!" Ichigo squeezed in beside me and shook him roughly, "Shirogane! Snap out of it! What are we going to do? We need your help! The ceiling is collapsing!"

"Ichigo-san, please stop!" Retasu begged from a short distance. She was already transformed as well and was helping Minto and Zakuro with the crumbling ceiling, holding what appeared to be a pair of castanets in her hands. Her face was puffy with worried tears.

"No!" Ichigo shouted. Her face twisted in frustration and sudden resolve as she struck Ryou's cheek with her palm. The smack broke through the sound of the crystal. As for Ryou, his head lurched to the side and I saw his face contort into a pained wince. Some color had returned to his face and his eyes focused up on Ichigo's face.

"Shirogane! What do we do?! What happened?! We need to get out of here!" she demanded, biting her lip nervously as she realized the series of reactions that could follow.

Ryou blinked at her, then shifted his gaze behind us at the aliens and the other girls. For the first time since I met him that night in the spring, he looked absolutely helpless and out of place. He gave her no answer, simply shut his eyes.

"Shirogane!" Ichigo shouted, hesitating. I could see that she was contemplating smacking him once more.

"Ichigo-chan, you should probably hurry up and transform. I'm sure the girls need as much help as they can get!"

The redhead turned her attention to me and gave me a funny look.

"ICHIGO, LOOK OUT!" Aoyama shouted.

The catgirl's eyes snapped wide open. Above her a large chunk of the ceiling had broken loose and was dropping down right above her. There was no time to react.

The green alien let out a low gasp, "ICHIGO! GET OUT OF THERE! NOW!"

That's when Ryou finally snapped, fear spreading across his pale face, "ICHIGO!"

Knowing there was nothing I could do myself, I lunged out of the way to avoid the debris, turning my eyes in horrow and sudden dread to see what had occurred behind me.

A warm blue aura had enveloped the girl. Beside her a blond head rested on her shoulder, a pair of arms wrapped around her tightly. The hilt of a sword gleamed from his back.

"Is that...? The Blue Knight? But how did he...?" Kisshu murmured in a quiet voice.

"Who is...?" I was about to ask when I was interrupted by Ryou.

"It's... it's Aoyama's other form," Ryou answered, his eyes were downcast and he was staring at the blood red crystal on the floor, now quieted and unresponsive like he himself had been moments before. The room was silent save for a few small rocks and dust that were clattering to the floor. The others had done a good job of keeping as much intact as possible.

"We should leave quickly, the ceiling may have sustained this much, but there is likely damage that is invisible to us. It could still collapse completely," Pai instructed.

"Should we take the Mew Ore with us?" I asked.

"We can't just leave it here," Ryou replied. He nodded his head at Aoyama. The two seemed to understand.

* * *

**-- Ch. 09; Act 05 - Faceoff. (version. Ryou)**

"Everyone, hold onto your hats!" Kisshu warned teasingly as he prepared to teleport us off.

"As if any of us were wearing hats," Minto rolled her eyes disapprovingly at Kisshu's joke.

Zakuro sighed next to her, "Minto, now is not the time for complaints."

"Yes, Zakuro-oneesama."

_What had just happened?_

_Aoyama had received the powers of the Blue Knight once more when he handled the Mew Ore, so why? Why was I simply left empty-handed?_

We were teleported outside where the air was once again dry and warm.

"Well, thank you, but I'd like to go back to sleep now," Minto sighed, "This vacation has proved a bit too adventurous for my tastes."

"I do apologize, Miss. If you'd like, we'll escort you back home."

Lifting my head, I noticed a ranger leaning against a patrol car and a number of men standing before us in uniform. The car's motor was turned off, so that the lights weren't flashing. What was going on? Was this? My eyes flicked to Max who looked less surprised than the others.

"Why hello there, Maxie-boy. We thought we'd give you a hand with these young people. The higher-ups have been real worried about ya."

"I appreciate your concern, but I have everything under control here, Officer Oshiro. If you'd be so kind as to tell Seto-san that things are progressing according to plan, that would be quite lovely," Max spoke up, his grin too bold for my liking. A bitter taste had crept into my mouth.

_Plan? What plan?_ My suspicions were on the rise. Had he planned this? Something about this picture was all wrong. Was this what he was waiting for?

"Yes, you'd like that wouldn't you?" the another of the uniformed men responded goodnaturedly before reaching into his holster and pulling out a pistol.

"Easy there, Kusanagi!" Officer Oshiro warned.

"Don't move, Max Bancroft. In addition to bringing the super girls back with us, we've also been ordered to arrest you," Kusanagi ordered, his tone vicious.

Max looked a bit startled, but his voice remained calm, laced with amusement, "Oh? On account of what charges, may I ask?"

"Cute. Not only have you lied about who you are, you've been reporting back with significantly flawed information and have accessed our databases without permission. I also hear ya owe some folks quite a bit of money."

"I lied you say?" Max questioned, but he was smiling all the while, "That can't be right."

"You lied about there being no aliens!" one of the lesser officers shouted, "Who are those guys with you then? Certainly not Keebler elves! And don't give us any 'Halloween' crap!"

"There's no 'Max Bancroft' listed anywhere as a Japanese citizen!" Officer Oshiro shouted after his subordinate was finished.

Max laughed, "Who said I was a Japanese citizen? Perhaps I was born in another country. America, perhaps... or Mexico. You have to admit the Latin scenery is quite remarkable. I wouldn't mind living here."

Kusanagi growled, raising his pistol higher and straightening his arm in a threatening gesture. The others followed his lead and began pacing towards us. Oshiro glanced over at me and the girls, but none of us made a move to stop them.

"Who are you really working for, _Max_?" Oshiro demanded, "What do you want?"

Max just kept smiling.

"Yeah, Max," I added sarcastically, my mood already shot, "Do share. We're all dying to know."

Max laughed again slightly, "Ryou-kun, I already explained this to you. I'm working for myself. People being helped and hurt by my actions are simply the natural consequences one would expect, am I right?"

I scoffed, "It's all about you, isn't it? Don't you care about anyone other than yourself?"

Max frowned, "Do you?"

What kind of question was that?

"Of course I do!" I shouted, "Otherwise why would I be doing what I do? Do you think I want to stare at a computer screen all day or that I want to put teenage girls in danger for the fun of it?"

"And here I thought he enjoyed locking himself in the basement with his beloved machines..." Minto put in.

Max ignored Minto's addition. He looked somewhat thoughtful, but his response to my earlier question was as cryptic as ever, "I won't deny that my actions are selfish. However, I believe that these selfish actions of mine will benefit not only myself, but a small handful of people."

"That's it?" I muttered in annoyance, "That's all you have to say for yourself?"

"I believe that actions speak louder than words, Ryou-kun. However, I also believe that it's best not to rush things."

"All right, enough of the heart-to-heart chatter! Cuff him!" Oshiro ordered. Two of his men started forward, both with pistols raised.

"Shirogane," Zakuro kept her voice a low murmur as she leaned close to me, "What should we do? I think we could overpower them, but, I'm worried about the firearms. One wrong move and..."

"I know," I whispered, staring at the ground. Was it better to get caught now and escape later, to just go along with the government, or to run? If only Keiichiro were here. I realized that I relied on him a great deal more than I made it seem.

For one never short on smart remarks and proverbs, Max put up little fight and was quickly overpowered.

**Behind.** I mouthed it to Pai. The rest of the group was inching towards the girls, but this wasn't going over so well. Aoyama still stood infront of Ichigo, an impenetrable shield if his track record was any indication. Kisshu had summoned his swords already.

"Ryou Shirogane, don't give us any problems and come easily."

"I don't intend to give you any problems," I responded calmly.

"That's good to know." Before Oshiro could act, Pai had whapped him across the back of the head with his fan and he fell.

**"Ribbon Za-Cross Pure!"** The lone wolf lashed out at two of the men, successfully tripping them with her whip.

"Take this! Nyawr!" Ichigo leapt forward.

* * *

**-- Ch. 09; Act 06 - A Choice. (version. Ichigo)**

I leapt at one of the remaining officers. To be honest I was scared. Shirogane had given the order, but what were we even doing? Was he crazy? But there was no time for me to think about that.

Just then a gunshot broke through my consciousness. Fear streaked through me and I whipped around to see what had happened.

I couldn't even see what was happening until it was over. Kusanagi, who was holding Max swayed, his hand, still clutching the pistol, fell to his side. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, leaving Max to stumble forward from the release of pressure around his shoulders. Where Kusanagi had been stood Shirogane, one arm held horizontally to the ground and taut. Apparently he had struck the man in the back of the neck. His eyes were still dark.

The blond straightened then kneeled and pulled the firearm from the unconscious man's grasp. Pointing it at the sky, Shirogane spun the revolver loose and emptied the bullets into his left hand. He tossed the gun back to the ground and chucked the now useless shells into the river.

Max looked at a loss. He turned to me with uncertain eyes.

"Um... Shirogane?" I called nervously.

Shirogane was silent, his back to us.

"Uh... we..." I exchanged glances with the others, but nobody seemed willing to speak a single word.

"Let's get back to camp," he stated slowly, "And don't think for a moment that I saved you because I wanted to, Max. I did it because Keiichiro would have wanted me to."

Shirogane shoved his hands in his pockets and set off with determined steps in the direction of camp.

Max started after him, seeming a bit disoriented as he loped after him, "R-ryou, I..."

The man infront of him just shook his head, the moon making his hair appear more silver than yellow, and it shone. Nobody could talk to him. Somehow I knew that, even though Shirogane held back so much about his person. On purpose, I knew.

Zakuro-san was resting her hand on my shoulder, "Let's follow them. We might not be able to find our way back otherwise. Shirogane... needs some time to himself."

I nodded softly, "You're probably right about that."

"Ah, so much drama..." Minto sighed.

"Should we really leave Shirogane-san alone right now?" Retasu questioned, coming up beside me.

"He seems like the type who heals alone, but if he wants to talk about it, I'm sure he'll seek someone out," Masaya added.

"Max-san is with him," Retasu pointed out weakly.

"True," Minto admitted, "And Ryou will probably take the opportunity to finish him off himself."

"I don't really think Shirogane would kill anyone," I said.

"Of course not," the wolf added, ushering us to hurry up before the police officers and the ranger regained consciousness, "It's not so hard to understand why Aoyama could use the Mew Ore and Shirogane could not. Nor is it surprising that Shirogane is upset by it."

"What do you mean, Zakuro-san?" asked Retasu.

Zakuro-san sighed, for a moment I thought I saw a flicker of regret on her features, but it soon disappeared. What she said, however, I could tell was spoken from experience, "You can't revive the dead when they're already at peace."


	11. 10: How to fix and then break it again

_**Author's Note:**__ Argh. I keep ending up with two seperate scenarios per chapter. It happened in the last chapter and I ended up making the ceiling cave in instead of bringing the "evil" aliens back in. Here I run into the same problem, but to be honest, I need a bit of a break to remember where this story was going before it gets any more "dramatic" (ie. reread what I wrote), so I changed this from what I originally had jotted down. Personally, I'm surprised nobody went out on a limb trying to figure out who/what Max was, but, well, you get the answer either way. As to whether he's bad or not, I think you can start to refine what you think. Thanks for so many reviews so quickly, too. I was surprised to wake up to about four comments when I posted this thing at midnight. Wow. It makes me feel special. :D_

* * *

**TOMORROW'S SOLACE**

**--- Ch. 10; Act 01 - How to fix what has become broken. (version. Max)**

What could I do but trail after him? With my own head reeling, I could only imagine what our teenage "leader" was going through at the moment. First there was the shock from the resonance. I had yet to discover what had caused such an explosive reaction between the Mew Ore and Ryou. Secondly, Ichigo's life had been in danger. The triangle was obvious to any bystander. Not only was she in love with her boyfriend and he with her, but it seemed that the alien Kisshu was drawn to her as well. And of course, there was Ryou. As cryptic as he tried to be, his affection for (often masked by annoyance and authority over) her was plain to see. Third, well, I imagined having an encounter with the police right after nearly getting buried alive was not going to help.

"Ryou!" I called after him. His steps were brisk and certain; I found it hard to keep up with him.

He kept moving, not acknowledging that he had heard me in the least. He probably wanted to be alone or else he would have simply requested that the aliens teleport us back to camp. But he hadn't. It seemed as if he was running away, if anything.

I sighed in exasperation, "Ryou! I know you can hear me! You could at least let me know that you're okay."

"I want to be alone," he muttered by way of explanation. I didn't doubt his words, but I doubted that leaving him to his own devices was best.

"Are you sure you wouldn't feel better if you talked about it?" I asked.

"Why would I talk to you about anything?"

"True, I'm not Keiichiro or Ichigo-chan, but at least you could get it off your chest."

"No," he said with finality.

I was getting nowhere. It might very well be useless. "May I at least ask you if Keiichiro is the only reason you rescued me?"

"Isn't that what I said?" he grumbled.

"Well, yes, yes you did," nervously I scratched the back of my head. Ryou looked momentarily over his shoulder to glare at me, silently telling me to get lost.

"Nevertheless, thank you for saving me. I'm glad you're okay."

The teenager muttered something incomprehensible in response.

"I do hope that was a 'you're welcome'. I believe it's customary to respond with one when-"

"It wasn't," he interrupted before hurrying off. I decided it was best to leave him. He wouldn't be stopped so easily.

* * *

"So, Max-san, how was Shirogane-san doing?" Retasu asked. She had cooked up some green tea for everyone which was actually quite delicious.

Sighing, I accepted a cup from her, "Not too well, I'd say. But he wanted to be alone and it didn't look like anyone could stop him."

"That's pretty normal for Shirogane. People will often go off by themselves to reflect on the past," Zakuro offered, seated comfortably on a mat that she had laid out over a large flat rock.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Ichigo admitted, "Shirogane's secretive no matter what. It's not often that he comes straight out and says something personal."

"If it's about what happened, I'm sure he doesn't want to say anything about it at all," Aoyama-kun added, "Being an orphan is a painful experience."

"But he's not really completely an orphan - he has Akasaka-san, doesn't he?" Ichigo questioned, "I can't imagine what it'd be like not having Mom and Dad around, but at least he has Akasaka-san to turn to, and he has us."

"I think that's beside the point, Ichigo," Minto said, tracing the handle of her cup with her finger, "My parents are alive and well, yet I never see them, much. Even Seiji is away most of the time. I'm not above admitting that it gets lonely."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Ichigo said.

"Are you sure Ryou-kun was trying to ressurect his parents using the Mew Ore? What if it was something else entirely?" I asked.

"What else would he try to use it for? Even we know that the Chimera Animas killed his parents years ago," Kisshu piped up from his side of the campfire, his yellow eyes glowing eerily in the dim light, "That was back before we knew how to control them... Even though we use Chimera Animas, they're not like us or like humans. They don't always obey our commands. They run only on the basic instincts to eat, drink, and eliminate whatever stands in the way of their survival. They'll attack even when there's no reason to."

Pai, who had been watching in silence, contributed, "Yes. I doubt the boy was foolish enough to ask for something completely beyond reasonable capabilities. Considering the Mew Aqua was able to revive the citizens of Tokyo, he probably assumed that something more powerful could revive the dead from some years ago. He's rash in certain situations, but not idiotic by any means."

"I wish we could do something for him," Retasu admitted, staring into her cup sympathetically.

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed frowning.

I opened my mouth to speak, "But what could that something be, Retasu-chan? Obviously some solutions are beyond our grasp. Others might backfire."

"You know, Max-san, I was thinking that maybe if you cut your hair out of your face, it'd make it easier for Shirogane-san to trust you," Retasu suggested weakly.

"Minto stared at her, "What good would that do? Not that I'm opposed to the idea."

"Well..." Retasu tried to explain, motioning lightly with her hand as she spoke, "My father always said that you know you can trust someone by looking at their eyes. When we can't clearly see someone's face, our natural instinct is to be wary of them."

"You trust Max?" Zakuro questioned. With this the entire group's eyes fell on me. I could tell each of them was evaluating his or her own stances on the matter.

"Well, I think Max-san is a good person at heart," she answered finally, her cheeks reddening, "Otherwise, why would he be so worried about Shirogane-san?"

"Hmm..." Ichigo frowned, "Why do you worry about Shirogane, Max?"

"Is it wrong of me to worry about him? He seems to have a lot of... problems," I could have kicked myself for my bad wording.

"Back home people change their hair color or style as a sign of loyalty. Ask this guy to cut his hair as a sign that he's not going to betray you," Kisshu suggested boredly.

"If nothing else, you'll know the face of your enemy," Pai stated.

"He never said he wouldn't betray us! ...or that he was our enemy, for that matter." Ichigo reminded everyone.

"I can hear everything you're saying," I managed with a sweatdrop.

Honestly, I had figured that I wasn't their "enemy" by any means, yet our goals could end up clashing in the future, and I was not about to give up on account of them telling me it was "wrong" or "bad". Some things had to be done.

"So... what do you think?" Ichigo asked, "Will you cut your hair?"

"I'm not entirely partial to the idea," I admitted.

"I suppose we're best off taking him as a hostage," Zakuro deduced, stiffening.

"I do believe that's a bit much, Miss Zakuro," I replied.

"If nothing else, I'm tired of him constantly dodging the subject. I propose that we simply cut it ourselves," Minto proposed. I saw Ichigo make a face at that.

"I will answer when I'm good and ready," I assured Minto with a smile.

"Yes, when we are old and gray," she retorted, taking another sip of tea and signaling that she was finished with this discussion.

"Please, Max-san? I know it seems trivial, but it might set everyone at ease if we could see your face," Retasu leaned forward slightly as she spoke.

"I'd rather not," it was the truth. It was something I was not ready to do. Not by a long shot. I sighed to myself. Could they not just drop the topic altogether?

Ichigo popped up infront of me and the mischievous sheen in her eyes reminded me miraculously of my own-

"Just sit back and relax okay? I'm sure it'd make Shirogane happy since he's been wanting you to shave for ages. He's really particular about things like that, you know?" She laughed nervously, obviously only wishing to satisfy her own curiousity.

"Somehow I doubt it would make the boy happy, but if all of you are going to continue to insist..."

Ichigo's brows knit together in confusion, "Well, I mean, it might not make him jump for joy or anything, but it'd make you seem more like a member of the group than, well, a bum."

"Ichigo," Aoyama-kun uttered in disbelieve. The catgirl frowned at him. She thought it true, and she was probably right.

"Okay, okay. I get it. But am I even that? A part of the group?"

"Akasaka-san trusts you... and you saved Shirogane... and... well, you haven't done anything bad yet..." she admitted.

"He denied that we had arrived," Pai added, "For whatever reason he was keeping this information classified."

"He helped clean up a stack of plates I dropped two weeks ago," Retasu added meekly.

Minto shook her head, not believing any of this, "In his defense, he makes better tea than Akasaka-san."

"I'm still keeping my eyes on you," Zakuro informed me, "I'm sure Shirogane will do the same, but, I'd be more inclined to trust you if you answered to a few of our requests."

Kisshu merely stretched.

"Very well," I conceded, "Let's get this over with."

It was too late to undo now. Ichigo dug a pair of scissors from her bag and pleaded with Aoyama-kun for a razor.

"Um, I'm afraid I'm not very good at styling, but is there a particular type of haircut you would like, Max-san?"

"I thought we were just going to shave it all off, nya..." Ichigo blinked, handing her green-haired friend the items. If I hadn't know that Retasu was quite successful with sewing and making dolls, I might have been a bit worried.

"Ichigo..." Aoyama-kun sighed again.

Still, in the back of my mind there was an inkling - a feeling - that I would come to regret my decision of taking off the mask.

* * *

**--- Ch. 10; Act 02 - Revelation. (version. Ryou)**

I was sitting out there by myself for two hours solid. Was I asking for too much? Maybe I wasn't pure enough? It didn't compute. Aoyama had transformed with little effort after merely touching the Mew Ore. Were his feelings somehow different from my own? Or was it because he had been the Blue Knight? Did I need to sacrifice two corpses in exchange for restoring a pair of spirits? Maybe it was just impossible. Maybe it had been too long and maybe they were happy the way they were. Can spirits even think in the first place?

It was then that I noticed the night air had gotten chilly. It was best if I headed back to the others and contacted Keiichiro with the news that we had found the Mew Ore. He'd also probably ask questions about what had happened.

The camp wasn't incredibly difficult to find again. The others had stacked the fire higher so that it'd be easier to see from a distance. When I could start to distinguish which shadows belonged to who, I noticed that Aoyama was walking towards me.

"Shirogane-san, something's wrong," he said quietly.

Having had enough time to recompose myself for the time being, I crossed my arms infront of me and looked down my nose at him, "What happened?"

"We tried contacting Akasaka-san and the others back in Tokyo. All we got was static. Kisshu and Pai left to go see what was going on. They haven't come back yet," he explained gravely.

"I see. How long ago was this?" I kept walking past him and he followed, Masha resting in his arms, apparently in hibernation mode.

"It was about forty five minutes ago."

I breathed through my teeth in annoyance, "That's a fairly long time. Something might be amiss."

"That's what I think too. They asked me and Max to stay here with Ichigo and the others until you came back, but, I'm worried that the other aliens might have attacked the cafe and overpowered them."

"You haven't heard anything?"

"Nothing," said Aoyama.

"Shirogane-san! Thank goodness! Uh, would you like some tea? I saved some for you. Um... it might make you feel better..." Retasu offered nervously, relief flickering across her face. I felt bad for having her worry.

"That would be nice," I answered. She hurried off to get it.

"Hrm. It doesn't feel right. Especially given the aliens haven't attacked here. The only opposition we've had was the rangers and police..."

"Do you think Max-san told them we were coming here?" Aoyama asked me.

I thought for a moment, then shook my head, "No. He demanded that I not report our actions to them... he wouldn't have done it. It must have been someone else."

"A spy?" he suggested.

"Max is spy enough. Unless someone's spying on him, I don't think so."

"Maybe the government and the other aliens are working together?" he sounded skeptical. So was I.

"It's too early to tell. I'm more worried about things at the cafe. Keiichiro should have been able to contact us, and the aliens can teleport. If they could have, they would have reported back by now..."

"What can we do? I can't teleport us and there's no town in sight, let alone an airport," Aoyama reminded me.

"I have a cellphone," Zakuro spoke up, approaching us.

"I'd rather not resort to waiting hours for an airplane to come get us. By then it could be too late," I murmured.

"You're right, but what other choice do we have?" she inquired.

"There isn't much choice at all," I grumbled.

Minto shook her head, "Even my family's private jet service would take several more hours to get here. I guess it can't be helped unless we intend to wait."

"Shirogane-san, your tea?" Retasu offered.

"Thanks..." I responded tiredly, taking it gratefully.

"But we can't just sit around and wait for some airplane," Ichigo argued, "What about Berii and Purin and the others?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Well, no..." she admitted.

Retasu folded her hands loosely over her chest, "Maybe the aliens will come back soon. If they need help, then surely they'll find a way to reach us, right?"

"I hope so," Zakuro replied/

"There's got to be something we can do..." I murmured, searching for some sort of an answer.

Ichigo nodded emphatically, "Shirogane's right! We can't just-!"

Max took that moment to deliver his two cents to the group. I hadn't noticed him earlier. I could only imagine he was off plotting things or else using nature's restroom, "If we could return to Tokyo now, it'd be the same thing as freely handing over the Mew Ore. We should wait until Kisshu and Pai come back at the very least. If we're too hasty in our decision-making, we might be overwhelmed."

This comment made something in me snap and I whirled on him angrily, "What kind of a coward are you? Our options are limited right now, but suppose something happens to the others while we're hanging out in Latin America enjoying the scenery?! Stop acting like you know everything!"

The voice had been Max's voice. I was sure of it. But Max was nowhere to be seen.

The man who had spoken met my gaze squarely. He looked tired and restless. Despite his words having come across in a calm and practiced manner, he looked completely unsettled by his decision to speak at all.

I stared for a few moments before my thoughts decided to catch up with my eyes.

He sighed with an effort, "I tried... I was trying to find a way to tell you, but, you didn't give me much of a chance."

I took a step backwards as he simply stood where he was.

No. This couldn't be happening. I stared dumbly at his face as all the pieces I had been mulling over for the past few months began falling into place.

This was why he had blackmailed Ichigo into taking him to see me.  
This was why he had tried so hard to get me to like him.  
This was why he pretended to be so concerned.  
This was why he had refused to give up even when I didn't want his company.  
This was why he wouldn't show his face or talk about himself.

This was why the Mew Ore had gone out of control. It simply couldn't grant my wish.

Then I remembered all the things I'd said. How many times had I shown him even the slightest smile or the smallest bit of hospitality since he had arrived?

My mind was becoming more and more jumbled. But more importantly than the how or why, I was thinking of the how long it had been. Didn't he hate me? He had to be truly disappointed in his discovery.

What was I, anyway?

Some punk who was posing as his--

And even more than that: was it possible that he really was someone who couldn't be trusted? I wanted to trust him. I couldn't.

I tried to shut this all out. I shook my head with force and backed away.

I felt trapped.  
I felt like I was being betrayed.  
I felt like I was being tested and I had failed. FAILED.

"Akasaka-kun and I... We wanted to tell you, but I knew it'd be a difficult thing for you to accept. Take your time. You don't have to accept any of this ri--"

I shook my head. My eyes were stinging with what had to be tears. I was ashamed to be crying at a time like this

_Max_ (could I even **call** him that anymore!?) held a helpless look on his face. It was killing me.

"Ryou, I'm so sorry..." He was trying to be as careful as possible, I knew that. He offered a smile even, though his eyes seemed very sad.

"No!" I shouted. Retasu jumped with surprise and Ichigo's eyes widened with fright. I was sure even Zakuro had cringed, but I was paying no attention at all to my audience.

"You liar!" I hissed, tears running down my face, "Why didn't you say something?! You liar! YOU LIAR!! **YOU LIAR!!**"

He made no move to deny this. He just watched me through those same eyes, clearly visible now that his brown hair was cropped short and his beard reduced to nothing.

The world was falling apart. I was staring at someone I both hated and loved. How could that be? I was being offered one of the very things I had wanted. Something I'd wanted forever. But I couldn't accept it. Not now. I couldn't keep living in the past. This whole time it had all been a lie. There was never a Max Brancroft. It was just a lie. He was a liar. And I had fell for it.

I turned and ran off. My pounding head drowned out every noise. My body seemed to fall away from me as I shrank down, morphing into a cat. The perfect tool for my escape from the man who had started everything.

* * *

**--- Ch. 10; Act 03 - The person he reminds you of. (version. Max)**

"M-max, aren't you going to go after him?" Ichigo spoke up cautiously.

"Ah... besides that, what just happened here, Max?" the blue Mew Mew added, casting a sidelong look in my direction. She seemed concerned, a rare emotion for the petite Minto.

Retasu, shaken by Ryou's outburst, kneeled carefully to pick up the dropped teacup.

I watched the place where Ryou had been moments before. I should have expected a reaction such as this, but how in the world was one supposed to reveal the information Ryou needed to know? This was a bad time, I knew. He was already stressed. Now he might even be in a serious state of shock, all because I had caved in. On the flip side, at least now he knew why his wish hadn't been granted. That is, if Zakuro and the others were correct about that in the first place. I wasn't in a position to ask him. It was a pathetic bit of optimism that didn't even begin to make up for what I had just done to him.

I rubbed my forehead, letting out another weary breath that I had been holding in, "You don't need to call me by that name anymore."

"Eh?"

I glanced away from the group of confused faces, "'Max' and 'Bancroft' came from the names of childhood friends of mine. You can call me 'Professor' or whatever else you like..."

"Wait, what? You're a teacher?" Ichigo's eyes were literally huge brown question marks.

"I'm afraid I'm not following you," Minto admitted.

Zakuro and Retasu stood by silently.

"So 'Max Bancroft' is an alias," Aoyama-kun realized aloud, watching me with eyes that were calm and did not judge.

"You could say that, I suppose."

They say the characters in my name mean "self victory", yet all I was feeling at the moment was a hopeless sense of defeat. It looked like the success of my "plan" was all up to him now.

The girls looked like they were about to hammer me with questions, but I raised a shaky hand to stop them.

"More specifically, my real name is Jishou Shirogane. The truth is that... I'm Ryou's father."

* * *

_**Author's Note:** I left it at a cliffy because the two friends I asked said to. I was going to be nice and explain the HOW and WHY, but that'll be the next chapter, I guess. Along with a little Rychigo fluff. Now be honest - how many of you saw that one coming? From now on titles will be marked with his "real" name._


	12. 11: Empty

_**Author's Note:** I'm really sorry for the long hiatus. X.X Bwah wah wahh... DOOM. The words spoken at the funeral are from_ Dirge Without Music _by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Aria_Sunset, thanks for pointing out my plot hole. The intermission... "a tale of the impossible" apparently really was "impossible'"so it has been blended into this chapter here. Doing the "ef - a tale of melodies" thing. The remaining chapters will spell "solace" backwards with the first letter of the word. This chapter is "Empty". Many thanks also to Jisu. I got her to beta the rough draft of this chapter, and so picked up on a few of my common mistakes. Review! Please?_

* * *

_**'Do not stand at my grave and cry,  
I am not there; I did not die.'** _

_- _Mary Elizabeth Frye (_Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep_)

* * *

_It has been difficult. When this first began, I couldn't be certain of what I was looking for. Eventually, that something became quite clear._

_When I first saw Ryou - the "grown-up" Ryou - I was unsure of what to do. Here was a teenager who was self-sufficient and confident in his abilities. He had also accepted full responsibility for the girls, and despite the occasional complaint from their end, they seemed to be doing well. Perhaps too much time had passed already to make any difference whatsoever. Perhaps he no longer needed any guidance. He had gained a voice and leadership skills. He was a role model in the scientific community. He was no longer cringing away from the world, but facing it head-on. Still, after observing him for a few months, it seemed like there was something missing in his life. Something about his demeanor suggested that he was not completely satisfied. He seemed to be waiting for something. What it was precisely, I didn't know. In time, however, the answer would surely reveal itself. Not only to me, but to everyone._

**TOMORROW'S SOLACE**

**-- Ch. 11; Act 01 - Empty. (version. Jishou)**

"The truth is that... I'm Ryou's father."

"WHAT?!" six mouths gaped. If you included the robot, that is.

"How is that even possible? Pardon me, but, you died, didn't you?" Retasu's eyes were wide in disbelief, the whites showing, and she glanced around timidly for a sturdy surface to rest her weight against.

"Aside from that, shouldn't someone be keeping an eye on Shirogane? **Again.**" Zakuro seemed incredibly annoyed about the entire situation, yet she didn't miss a beat. Her brow was furrowed slightly, the corners of her mouth tugged down. Of course, this reaction could perhaps be traced back to having her sleep interrupted. I imagined the entire group, myself included, was exhausted by now.

I watched them in silence for a moment, trying to decide whether I now felt better or worse about this whole situation. Since the image of Ryou running away was still freshly lit in my mind, I came to the conclusion that I felt worse. Much worse. A guilty conscience nagged in the back of my head, and an accompanying migraine threatened to cross the threshold into reality.

Ichigo raised her hand weakly. "I-I guess I can go. I mean, it feels like part of this was my fault anyway." She bit her lip, but tried to plaster a convincing smile on her face a moment later. It failed to reassure the others.

Ichigo continued, "I'm not really sure what's going on, so someone explain this to me when I get back, okay?"

"Very well, Ichigo," Minto was trying to tease her, "I'll be sure to use small words." As soon as she said this, the sarcasm in her voice died and she scooted closer to the wolf girl as if she were the fire.

"Ichigo, be careful," Aoyama cautioned.

"Mhm, I'll be okay." Ichigo grinned weakly before walking off in the direction Ryou had gone. Before she was completely out of sight, she was pumping her legs faster, her loosened pigtails bobbing at the sides of her head like ears.

"Now then, Max dear, if you'd care to explain **everything**!" Minto raised her voice. She stepped away from Zakuro abruptly, thrusting her thumb and forefinger in my direction. I imagined a spotlight turning on to shine in my face and prevent my escape.

"Minto, calm down," Zakuro sighed, turning a gaze eye on me, "It's not like he has much choice. If he doesn't answer to us now, he'll have to answer to Shirogane later."

I shrugged my shoulders in defeat, knowing I would be doing both in due time, "I would explain, but I honestly don't know how I'm supposed to accomplish that task. I'm not even sure of all the details myself."

Minto scoffed, "I'm sure you _don't_."

"Minto-san, please!" Retasu coaxed, glancing between her friend and myself, "Um, um... Shirogane... Shirogane-hakase, could you please tell us what you do remember at least?"

"Just calling me 'Jishou' or even 'Shou' is fine," I replied, "No need for formality at this point. And I suppose I can give it a try."

As simple as that, I suddenly had their full attention and their silence.

"The beginning is rather fuzzy," I confessed, "One day I was, and the next I... _wasn't_, and then I was again. It was a long time before I realized I had even died, but when I couldn't find my home or contact my family, I knew something was wrong. While passing people on the street, I happened to see that a calendar said the year was 2005. That was when things became strange. Nothing was as it should have been. There were roads where none had been before, and stores that had been bustling with customers when last I visited them were left vacant. It was like waking up from a nap only to find that years had passed by instead of mere minutes."

"So, you're saying you were revived?" Zakuro raised an eyebrow.

"I really don't know," I replied in exasperation, "It is the only deduction I have that seems to fit."

"But, isn't it possible that Shi... that Jishou-san could have been brought back to life when Aoyama-san released the Mew Aqua?" Retasu suggested.

"I don't think so. Even though it brought people in Tokyo back to life, it didn't restore other sources of damage. The subway systems were out of commission for months after that battle and lots of people were out of jobs. I know it's powerful, but could it really revive people back in America who died years before Tokyo Mew Mew was even formed?" Aoyama recalled.

"It seems a little too convenient," Zakuro stated firmly, "I'm nearly certain that the Mew Aqua was not responsible for this one at all."

"Would you like for me to continue or not?" I asked cautiously.

"Keep going," Zakuro ordered.

"Right, well... I had nothing. I went to the police to ask about my family and was sent away. I suppose they thought that I was intoxicated or crazy, or perhaps both, considering my... less than appealing appearance..."

I heard Minto cover a snicker with the back of her hand, but I continued on without stopping.

"Later that week... I suppose it was the same week... I happened to overhear two girls in the bookstore talking about Tokyo Mew Mew. When I researched it, I found out that it was based on the Mew Project. I thought maybe if I could find a way to Japan, the people continuing my research would at least know what had become of my family.

"I had no money, so I snuck onto an airplane using a forged ticket. I was later discovered, so now I have the American police force after me, believing me to be a terrorist, and perhaps obviously, for forging the ticket and not paying. I honestly would have paid if I could do so, however, given the sitation..."

"You really expect us to believe this story?" Minto wrinkled her nose in mild disgust.

"Minto-san!" Retasu hissed in a shocked tone.

"It's not like I'm claiming to have been kidnapped by sky pirates, Minto-chan. This was before the beard took over completely, so I think that they may not have recognized me had they discovered me whereabouts. I went to some of my old aquaintances in the Japanese police force to find more information on Tokyo Mew Mew. Since the police were already highly interested in Ryou, they were quite willing to assist me in exchange for my own information. I was heading across the city towards Cafe Mew Mew, and that was about the time I bumped into Ichigo-chan in Harajuku and asked her to take me to her leader."

"Ichigo said you blackmailed her," Minto corrected.

"Ah, but see, I did nothing of the sort. I only said I _could_ reveal her identity, not that I would actually do it," I explained casually.

"That sounds like blackmail to me," Minto retorted, frowning slightly at the way I was explaining things so lightly.

"But it wasn't," I insisted.

"And so?" Zakuro prompted, "Then what?"

"I didn't expect to see Ryou so soon. I was a bit shocked at the time, to be frank. However, Akasaka-kun was able to figure out who I was, and that's why he agreed to let me stay at Cafe Mew Mew. I wanted to tell Ryou who I was, but after all this time, and considering the way things unfolded, we... _I_ didn't know how to break it to him, and so..."

"I see..." Minto rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Um, Jishou-san, if you're here, then what happened to Shirogane-san's mother?" Retasu asked.

"...I have no idea. I looked for them both back in America. Of course, there was no way I would have recognized Ryou at first, but... I never found her. Nobody I asked knew her."

The green-haired girl bowed her head, her hair falling into her eyes, "I'm sorry for asking."

"So, now what do we do?" Zakuro folded her arms in front of her. "We still have the aliens to deal with."

"So glad you didn't forget us!" Kisshu chuckled as he appeared suddenly.

"What took you so long?! Is it that difficult to teleport?" Minto complained, finally returning her hand to her side.

Kisshu's face turned grave as he shook his head. At that time, the taller alien appeared behind him, dropping the upbeat boy, Tasuku, heavily on the ground.

"Ow! Take it easy, why don't you?" he brushed the dirt from his face with the back of his hand.

"Tasuku-san!"

"Yo!" Tasuku greeted Retasu's cry of concern with a "thumbs-up" signal, but the smile soon died from his face, "Berii and the others..."

"They were apparently kidnapped. The restaurant is now empty," Pai clarified.

"Kidnapped?" Retasu gasped, her hands finding their way to her cheeks as her eyes began to flood.

"That's right," Kisshu said, "Even the cook is gone. We think we know where they are, but it's too dangerous to go there alone. We were able to track them that far thanks to Taruto."

"This just never ends," Zakuro's mouth was tight.

The green-haired alien seemed to finally realize that the object of his affections was missing. He frowned, kicked up some dust with the toe of his boot, and began speaking without looking at any of us, "Guess we'll be waiting for Ichigo and that blond guy to get back. So you're his dad, huh? You're just like the blondie. Sneaky!"

"You knew?" Minto asked incredulously.

"I had a hunch. Not bad, huh?" I wondered for a moment if he had simply been listening to the conversation before showing himself.

"Such a pain, all of this drama," Kisshu muttered, curling up on the ground and resting his chin in his palm.

Tasuku whirled on him then, grabbing the alien by the front of his shirt and giving him a shake, "We can't rest now! Berii and the others are in trouble!"

"Hey, don't blame me. Two of your guys are still missing and we'll be doomed if we run in there like this. You humans have to sleep, don't you? As much as I'd love to wring Silver's neck right now, I can't do it by myself." Kisshu shrugged and shut his eyes, but if I was correct in my assumptions, he was also very concerned about his missing comrade.

Tasuku let him go reluctantly, rubbing his head as he shuffled towards the glow of the campfire, "They better not do anything to her..."

Pai shook his head at his companion's careless behavior, "Indeed. In the meantime, perhaps we should come up with a strategy. The chance of things getting more dangerous from here on out is extremely high. I suggest we approach things with care or else failure is inevitable."

"Agreed," I replied.

**-- Ch. 11; Act 02 - They Go. (version. Ryou)**

"Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave..." _the pastor continued in a politely distant voice that seemed hollow and void of much comfort. The sound echoed across the chapel, silent but for a few surpressed sobs in the crowd. Keiichiro sat beside me, stiff-backed and expressionless. He could have easily passed for a statue if not for the warm pressure of his palm on the back of my right hand. I imagined I could feel his pulse through it. Ever since _that_ night he'd hardly taken his eyes off me. Worried, perhaps, that I would disappear too._

"Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;  
"Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.  
"I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned."

_I heard the neighbor's wife burst into tears. The whole congregation was at a loss for words, and the most even her spouse could manage was to rest his arm across her shoulder and draw her closer to himself. _

_No words, but there were still those tears and the wandering through the fog of our own thoughts. _

_That scene was perpetually etched into my mind. The empty caskets, the empty eyes, the empty voices._

_Now the hourglass had been tipped over onto its head. The entire event was being overwritten by some unexplainable glitch. But for how long were the effects of this glitch supposed to last? Suppose "Max" was a ghost, or a figment of my imagination...? Perhaps some long lost relative or someone completely unrelated who looked exactly like my father. It was a coincidence... or maybe some experiment the government was doing... a trick, a trap... a miracle?_

My eyes were heavy and my thoughts muddled; my body ached, almost insisting that I take the time to get some much-needed rest. It would have to wait. I couldn't sleep now.

"That man is my father..." I mumbled quietly to myself. The noise was lost in the atmosphere. The stars seemed so crowded, so close, that for a moment it felt claustrophobic.

_I know.  
But I do not approve._

The next thing I noticed was Ichigo coming up behind me, her breath catching in short little gasps from the effort. The humidity had ruined her hair, and her pigtails hung limply on each side of her head; one was higher than the other.

She looked about as tired as I felt, but apparently I looked even worse than I felt, because when she saw my face she immediately frowned her disapproval.

"Hey, Shirogane?"

**-- Ch. 11; Act 03 - How to listen. (version. Ichigo)**

The night seemed to be dragging on forever and ever. My eyes were heavy and I had to hold back a yawn. Shirogane... and Max... No. Jishou-san, was it? As I trudged along through the middle of nowhere looking for my boss, I tried out the idea of them actually being father and son. They were both smart, that much was for certain, but were there any other similarities? Well, there was one other thing I could come up with. It dawned on me now that Jishou-san actually softened up around Shirogane. He seemed to let his guard down, almost. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed obvious. Jishou-san had been looking out for him from the very beginning... He knew all along that Ryou hated him and was trying to get rid of him, yet he played along just so that he could remain close to him. Jishou-san was actually here for the sake of his family, wasn't he? And he never turned down Shirogane's food no matter how terrible he made it. It reminded me of my own dad, in a way. As violently overprotective as Dad was, he did it for me because he didn't want me to get hurt.

And yet... why was Jishou-san alive anyway? Akasaka-san had made it quite clear that the professor had died with his wife in an accident in their home. A fire caused by a Chimera Anima that the professor had been studying. So then what exactly was going on? Trying to think on the subject like Shirogane might have made my head spin. I figured I would leave the thinking to him and simply voice my own opinion later.

I had just come to this conclusion when I spotted Shirogane sitting with his back to me. He hadn't gone far after all, and knowing that there were rangers somewhere out there, and plenty of sinkholes and other dangers, I guessed it was silly of me to have been worried in the first place. Still, concern tugged at me and made me close the gap between us.

I made my way over to him cautiously, still trying to catch my breath.

"Hey, Shirogane?"

No response. I could tell he was awake, because he was watching me, but he wasn't answering.

I waited until I could breathe normally and carefully placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a slight nudge, "Shirogane? Hey!"

Shirogane's eyes turned up to stare at my face. Even though he hadn't said a word, it made me feel nervous.

"Um, well... I..." I jerked my hand away and fumbled in my head for the right words, "Uh... I'm sure I'm the last person you want to see, but we were worried about you, so I thought... Well, what I mean is..." I had lost my nerve already. It couldn't have been more than two minutes! I scratched my nose and looked around at nothing, hoping my grand "cheer up" speech would return to me. It didn't.

"Stop rambling nonsense, you silly catgirl." he muttered, "If you have something to say, say it. If not - go back to camp and sleep."

"Uh, right, yeah... well..." I spluttered helplessly. _Darn it._

"You can sit down if it'll make you quit babbling," he added with a sigh, turning away from me and resting his elbows on his knees to create a support for his head.

"Oh...kay..." With that I plopped down beside him, folding my arms neatly in my lap and cutting him a cautious sidelong glance. He seemed to be intentionally avoiding looking at me now, retreating into his antisocial shell.

Unreadable. Always unreadable. His eyes were looking at something far away, and his jaw was tight. He looked completely worn out - but then, who could blame him. It had been an extremely long night.

"Maybe you're the one that needs the rest." I blurted, "You look awful."

"You came here just to tell me that I look awful?" he questioned calmly.

"No!" I shot backwards again as if he had bitten me. He was impossible to talk to. I gritted my teeth and dug my fingernails into my palms, trying to work up some resolve through the pinching sensation on my skin. Well, it worked when I was angry. Now that I wasn't really mad, it didn't help much.

"What do you want?"

"I don't know..." I admitted sheepishly.

Shirogane sighed in exasperation before I could continue.

"I don't know," I repeated, "I guess I thought maybe even someone like you would be grateful for some company. Maybe I was wrong." I made a production of turning away from him on purpose and stared off at some random rock that was conveniently laying there in my field of view - at least I wasn't staring at nothing. I imitated him.

I heard the brush of fabric, guessing that he had shifted his position to stare at me or something. I kept my mouth shut and waited for his people skills to kick in.

Shirogane sighed again, but this time he just sounded tired.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, sincerely.

"I-it's fine," I blurted. It was the first response that came to my mind.

"I'm sorry," he repeated after a beat.

Two apologies in a single night was too much for me to manage. I felt my cheeks grow hot and looked away from him quickly.

"Don't worry about it, I mean, everything's been happening so fast, it's pretty hard to take it in."

"Well that's an understatement." If he was feeling well enough to be sarcastic, I figured he was recovering from his funk somewhat. Secretly I was glad that he wasn't too sad or shocked to be his usual rude self.

"So, are you feeling a little better?" I asked hopefully.

"Not really," he denied almost immediately, studying the palm of his hand, "Given everything that has happened tonight, things will only get more complicated from here on out. I'm ashamed at myself for not being able to handle it - especially since I'm the one who should be protecting everyone. I can't allow myself to wither like a flower when things get hard."

"You know... I mean, I know you feel responsible for all of us, but you chose to carry that burden. I don't think it's really your place to have to do all that."

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Shirogane shot a cold, hard, possibly **very** angry glare in my direction, his hand swinging outwards rapidly.

I cringed, squeezing my eyes shut, but the only thing I felt was a light thump on the roof of my head. When I peeked my right eye open to see, the moment was gone. Shirogane was watching me quietly, the back of his hand resting in the air about three inches from me.

He had only bopped me on the head.

"I know that," he said, "And it may be something that I can't do, but it's an improvement from being able to do nothing at all."

I opened my other eye and relaxed, "You mean about your parents, right? I don't think you could have done anything back then. Listen to my advice, okay?"

I leapt to my feet, brushing off my pajama bottoms. My speech, or some small fragment of it, had returned to me.

"Just do what you can, when you can. Put forth the effort, but don't push yourself too hard or you'll collapse. When you can't do it by yourself, call on your allies."

Shirogane cocked an eyebrow at me.

"We're all in this together, Shirogane, so stop acting like it's just you!"

"Okay."

I tilted my head to the side, "'Okay?'"

He nodded, "Okay."

"Okay," I agreed. He made no move to leave his place on the rock. As for me, I could barely keep my eyes open and decided to stick to at least part of my plan and not let him stay there by himself. I extended my hand towards him.

"Let's go back to the others. I'm really sleepy."

Shirogane rolled his eyes at me, but he did push off the rock, standing over me.

"Okay, Ichigo. Let's go."

I was about to put my hand away, but that's when he finally took it and began guiding me back the way we had come.

Everyone looked up as we returned to the camp site, their faces illuminated by the reddish glow of the fire that had been fed while we were gone. I realized then that Kisshu and Pai had returned, and among them was Tasuku, curled up on a sleeping bag and tossing restlessly.

"Berii-san, Akasaka-san and the others have been kidnapped by the other group of aliens," Retasu voiced sadly.

"We were just saying that we should all try to get some rest while we still can," Zakuro-san spoke up before anyone could add anything else or ask any questions, "If we're going to help the others, that is. We've already worked on formulating a plan to rescue them, but it would probably be best if we went back over it in the morning before we leave. Let's save the dramatics for another time." She looked pointedly at Shirogane, but he said nothing, just stared back at her in silence, not even bother to acknowledge her condescending tone.

Things just wouldn't let up. This was going to be tough.

In the following minutes I noticed two other things - that Shirogane's grip on my hand tightened slightly and that he kept his eyes diverted from Max's face.

_'That's right... it isn't "Max" anymore. It's the dad he thought was dead,_' I reminded myself.

I took the opportunity to pry away from Shirogane's vice grip, lest the girls or Masaya get any weird ideas. He shot a quick look at me and let go abruptly so that I almost tripped.

"Sh-she's right, Shirogane!" I blurted, "You should definitely take it easy, okay? I'll see you in the morning." I backed away quickly and trotted over to where Masaya was sitting a short distance away, grateful to get away from the blond and the storm I could still see raging behind his eyelids.

Masaya greeted me with a weary smile, "So, how'd it go?"

I made a pouting face and plopped down beside him, "Not as well as I had hoped. He's just so stubborn! I'm not even sure he took a word I said seriously, but I tried."

Masaya wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him, "I'm sure that isn't true. Shirogane may be difficult to talk to, but I'm sure your feelings got across to him."

"How do you know?" I asked him.

Masaya grinned at me, making me smile in return.

"Hey, come on, tell me!" I teased, batting at him.

"Just wait and see," he suggested by way of an answer. I pouted further and he laughed. I could tell that begging was useless, but he was warm, and I found myself resting my cheek against his chest. My cat instinct were already kicking in, and I felt a wave of drowsiness.

"So..." I mumbled, growing serious, but no more alert, "How did things go while I was gone?"

"Not too bad," Masaya said, "Although I think Zakuro-san especially was having a hard time believing Jishou-san's story."

"What did you think about it?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure," he confessed, releasing me. When I finally sat back upright, he was resting his arms on his knees, "But I have an odd feeling about this whole thing."

"What do you mean, Masaya?" I studied his face, trying to read further into what he meant, but like Shirogane, Masaya didn't reveal anything that he didn't want to. With Masaya, it might have been even more difficult. I felt a wave of guilt as I realized I probably now knew more about Shirogane than I did about my own boyfriend.

_'But,'_ I soothed myself, _'Masaya doesn't know much about himself, and most of what I learned about Shirogane was from Akasaka-san and not Shirogane himself.'_

"I feel like I've seen Jishou-san somewhere before. I'm not sure where from, but..."

"But you've never been to America, have you? That's where Shirogane grew up, so I think they must have been living there since he was born."

"I don't know, I don't remember much about my past. It's possible, but I can't be sure. I'm not even sure if..."

"_If_...?"

Masaya shook his head slowly, smiling apologetically, "Nevermind. There's no use in guessing. I'm sure things will become clear soon enough."

"Yeah, you're probably right," I agreed.

**-- Ch. 11; Act 04 - Firelight. (version. Ryou)**

While Minto, Zakuro, and Tasuku slept, Retasu summarized the conversation that I had missed. This was accompanied by a sampling of Minto's bubble tea that Retasu had heated to a boil over the fire.

"Are you certain you're feeling okay?" Retasu asked for about the fifth time, her eyes prodding my face for lies as I took another sip of the warm tea.

My mouth was dry, and the tea helped substantially. I could feel it gliding down my throat and warming my body which had become quite cold.

"I'm okay," I insisted, "Just need some sleep. You should rest up too."

Finally, she nodded, "All right. Sleep well, Shirogane-san." She bobbed her head automatically, smiling softly before retreating to where the others were asleep.

I took another swallow of the tea, taking in the scenery and the bright spotlight of the moon. I was both too tired and too awake to even attempt sleep. Instead, I kept vigil. In the distance nocturnal animals called out and were answered by others of their kind. A slight wind blew in from the Southwest, causing the firelight to flicker in protest. Though it was probably 3 A.M. in this timezone, and I didn't even want to think of how many hours I had spent awake since we arrived, the surrounding area seemed alive and watchful.

"Can't sleep?"

_He_ was standing a safe distance away, making no attempts to get any closer or to even tap my shoulder as he might have a few days ago. Any trace of smugness or sarcasm was gone. Instead his mouth was set in a solemn line and his eyes held a look of sincere worry, perhaps regret was there too.

"It's impossible," I muttered, although I wasn't sure if I meant sleeping as much as the possibility of _him_ actually standing there.

He watched me quietly for a moment and finally sighed.

"I'm sorry, Ryou. I'm not going to ask you to trust me, but..." he stopped speaking then, contemplating what he was saying and apparently deciding that he didn't deserve even to speak.

The silence thickened and filled the distance between us.

"But?" I provided finally, not really wishing to drag the encounter out longer than neccessary. Wasting time like this was only allowing the chilling sensation in my body to spread. I fought back a shiver and wished I had asked Retasu to leave the teapot behind.

He finished slowly, reluctantly, "But it would be nice if we could cooperate... for now, at the very least."

"Is this a part of your **brilliant** plan too?" I inquired guardedly. I felt my temper simmering not too far from the surface.

He studied the sky for a moment, uttering a "no" that was barely detectable in the darkness.

"I'm sorry," he added.

"You said that already," I pointed out irritably.

"Yes, I know, but what else can I say at a time like this?"

"A lot of things, but I don't think any of them would make a difference."

"Probably not."

I ran a hand through my hair, so tired that the landscape around me seemed to be warping just enough to make my head spin. "I mean, nothing you can say now will change what's already happened."

"I suppose you're right about that too."

I ducked my head and said finally, "I have a request."

"What is it?"

"Until I can decide what to make of all this, don't disappear again."

"I'll try, but I can't promise anything," he said after a moment. The moon's glow made his skin appear pale and papery. There were shadows playing across his face where wrinkles might be forming, and the night's activities had snuffed out much of the natural glow from his eyes.

I nodded my acceptance, "Good enough."

**-- Ch. 11; Act 05 - Wish. (version. Ryou)**

The morning came early. I awoke with the knowledge that I had actually managed to doze off at some point. The fire had sacrificed itself to its own ashes sometime after my conversation with _him_, yet we still ringed it as we went over and modified our plans and drank spring water.

I tried to assure myself that the plan would be carried out without problems while the girls gathered the last of their belongings and Aoyama and Meguro worked to scatter the ashes from the fire and cover all evidence of our camping grounds.

The sun was overhead when we were finally ready, aware that we could be heading into a trap, and even planning on that. Aoyama kept the Mew Ore on his person as we gathered into a circle with Pai and Kisshu flanking us.

"Is everyone ready?" I asked. Around me there was a chorus of silent nods.

"Let's go, then," I said to Pai, who was closest to me. Before I could even gather a full breath, the lighting had dimmed and the cafe dining area blinked into view.

"Nobody seems to be here..." Minto observed in a hushed tone.

"Yup, it's deserted, just the way we left it," Tasuku confirmed somberly.

The room, however, was not as I had left it. Several tables had been shifted about and half a dozen chairs had been knocked over or broken. Clearly there had been some sort of a struggle. My only relief came from the absense of blood or lifeless bodies. They must have been captured alive, or so I willed myself to believe.

It had been just like this, in the dim light of the cafe, the stained glass painting rainbows across the floor and illuminating dust particles in the darkened room, when I had first voiced this wish.

'If only my father was alive. I wish I could have shown this to him.'

Now, in that same pool of colored light, I would discover its consequences.


	13. Re: Empty

_**Author's Note:** I wasn't sure if FF sent an alert when I published the last chapter Friday, so, if you get an alert for this, please go back and read chapter 11 "empty". I know some of you have probably been waiting a long time for it, and I didn't want anyone to be disappointed for longer than they had to. Shrug._

* * *

The patterns on the floor began to move, creating the illusion of a hundred crow's wings thrashing in the midst of a prism of light.

I spun, eyes wild, wondering if there was anything available to use as a weapon. Even a broom handle would have made do. The fragments of the chairs and tables, however, were much too bulky to handle easily. Then I remembered the broken glassware.

So it had been a trap afterall, just as we had feared.

There was no turning back now.


End file.
